hello friends,
well this morning we finally got caught up with our bloggy friends lives, sorry we were MIA for a few days. glad to see everyone is doing well.
for today’s post we are going to give a little health update.
lately, we have been getting our blood work done from our lady doctor. we wanted to see how things were with our hormones mostly. we wanted to see how everything looked since going off birth control 2 years ago.
we finally got the test results back and were actually pretty similar in our results. twin power, haha
both of our hormones are in the “normal” ranges except our progesterone (meaning that both of us were not ovulating). even though both of us are not planning on having kids any time soon it is good information to be aware of.
our other hormones were still on the low side. well to us they were. our doctor said we have nothing to really worry about. so that should be good news right?
well actually we stressed over our numbers (just for the day, baby steps for us), we researched and researched hormones, we wanted to know more about what our blood work was telling us.
did we find anything?
a few months ago we bought Kevin’s ebook about how to read your blood work. we have been going over the numbers with what he recommends and we are low. we are not near the prime numbers to feel our absolute best.
so we still have a journey set out for us here to get things normal. though what is really normal anymore? maybe it is all in our head?
there is so much research out there, can be hard to know what is the truth, who to trust? anyone else feel like that?
we have come to the conclusion that stress is a big problem area for us. we do not handle stress the best and then we stress over not handling stress better. it is how we have always been. always thinking and worrying about something! one reason why Michelle’s cortisol levels were (and still) are so high, which is not much of a surprise to us, haha, just need to fix it
and another interesting thing about our blood work was our TSH levels (note we did not get a full thyroid blood work done, we plan to soon) were low…. extremely low. still considered in range but on the low side. and according to our research when your TSH is low that means you might have hyperthyroidism. meaning your thyroid is working too much. but we feel we have symptoms of hypothyroidism, but again our doctor said we have nothing to worry about.
so we are trying not to worry, but just be aware of this. when we look at both issues and relate to our health symptoms we feel we have a little bit of both. as we mentioned we plan on keeping an eye on this and hope to get more test done in the future.
our focus now is playing around with our diet and doing things to better handle our stress. we plan on getting some books on hormones, prenatal type books just for us to be ready for the future. since we need to control our stress better we plan on doing a better job in handling stressors that we can control through diet, fitness, meditation, and work related.
we are going to really try to focus on not thinking about things too much that causes us to stress. we tend to find ourselves constantly discussing something over and over again but not anymore. we are only going to discuss something for that moment and than move on. figure out a game plan and do it. and we are going to smile while doing it! staying positive is something we have to work on
when we have more info about what we are learning from our new diet changes we shall share. mainly we are watching our healthy fat intake and overall calories. how do we handle fruit compared to grains and other carbs. we shall explain more at a later date when we have some interesting conclusions to share.
we are NOT worrying too much about our results, we know we are eating healthy and we exercise daily. now it is the stress management part we need to fix up. why is it hard not to worry? haha
Twins Question: How do you manage your stress? Do you find that stress plays a large part in your life? In your health? What are your thoughts on hyper vs hypo thyroidism? Do you have any good hormone/prenatal books to recommend? When you go do the doctor’s do you ever feel more confused when leaving?
till next time,
Lori and Michelle
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
i def think stress plays a role in my overall health and i try my best to manage it! it’s so hard though…i’m on bc now for 1.5yrs and not looking to get off of it until maybe next year? i really want to see if i can get my period to regulate. i just wasn’t getting it at all! after my bloodwork came back normal, my doctor just kinda dismissed it and used pcos as a blanket term even though i had none of the symptoms besides irregular period. when i questioned her about it she replied “well that’s why we call it a ‘syndrome’ because we don’t have all the answers.” i’m hoping that a new doctor will care a little more into getting at the root of whatever was going on. who knows, maybe i will regulate fine this time after i choose to go off it? guess i will see! best of luck to you girls finding out your own stories as they unravel.
Melissa thanks girl, best of luck to you! Doctors can be very frustrating, we are having a hard time find ones we like her that want to help us.
Doctors and naturopaths have different ideas about what your TSH number should be. If its over 2.5, most naturopaths would say that it was too high. They aim for 2 to 2.5 as a normal range. Mine was 3.6 at my last appointment, and my doctor said it was normal! How silly of her. So, am seeing a natural biokinesiologist and we’re getting it down with natural remedies.
Thank you Barb for sharing. Good luck with your health journey
De-lurking for this one to let you know I’d love to hear your hormone journey. I was on BC for years and I still feel that my hormone levels aren’t where they should be – and I haven’t found a lady doctor yet that I feel comfortable with. I’d love to know what you learn.
As far as stress, I think the biggest thing to make a difference for me was breathing.
It’s simple, and because it’s simple I’ve been prone to mentally labeling it stupid and not doing it, but if I stop and close my eyes even for two deep yoga breaths, it’s like letting my soul rest under a warm, gentle waterfall.
There are a ton of other stress techniques that are more long-term useful, but in the SHORT term, taking ten seconds to BREATHE really recharges me.
Mint cocoa socca bread wishes for luck!
~Tami
Tami thank you for delurking
we will try to continue to share our hormone journey, if you ever want someone to talk to please feel free to email us (twins@pure2raw.com). And totally with you on short term, both of us are trying to do more breathing things.
As a student constantly bombarded with assignments, various extracurriculars, and just life in general, I completely understand coping with mind-bogglingly stressful situations. I’ve found that doing yoga 3 times a week has vastly reduced my stress levels by loosening my muscles to alleviate physical stress as well as teaching me how to live in the moment, accepting daily problems as they come, and not stickling over minute details. Yoga combined with a whole vegan diet has and continues to transform me into a calmer, more joyous all-around human being.
Ali – girl you are busy
yes yoga helps us too with stress and learning to look within and deal with issues more calmly. We have been doing yoga for about 10 minutes everyday! so we are looking forward to growing more into our yoga practice.
I try to manage my stress by focusing on the things I can change/have control over and not letting the things I can’t change/control control me and my emotions. This is a huge challenge and I have to work at it everyday but I have had amazing results in my life by doing this. I also take time to slow down, to breathe and take care of my needs. As a wife, a health coach and an assistant I have a lot of people demanding my attention and sometimes I lose track of myself and my needs. Over the past 6 months I have made an effort to do something for myself every day, something just for me and it really helps to keep me calm and balanced. The thing with stress is that it not only affects our physical and emotional well being but also our nutrition. When we are stressed we can loose sight of the importance of taking care of ourselves nutritionally as well as physically and emotionally. For me it’s important to make sure I maintain a balance in all aspects of life to reduce stress.
One book you may already be aware of is Take Charge of Your Fertility- this is really an amazing book and is one I turned to when I chose to go off birth control and when I found out I had low progesterone levels after a second miscarriage. I have found this book extremely helpful.
Lindsay, totally with you on finding balance in all parts of life, it is crazy how easily one thing can throw us off course. But the important is getting back on track, finding balance, and remember to do things for us!! Thanks for the book, we will check it out
I am struggling with the exact same issues! I manage my stress by with excercise, and creating something…anything. I have 4 children that I stay at home with. Stress is a huge problem for me too, and I know that it plays a huge roll in our overall health. I always feel more confused or like I get NO answers when I get back from the doctor. I was just told I have a low sodium level and tiny red blood cells…but nothing more was said. I think we can stress ourselves out and make ourselves crazy worrying about it too much. You are right, I don’t know who to believe anymore. I am trying to leave it all in the Lord’s hands. Starting my day off and ending it in prayer. After all each day is truly a blessing. Good luck girls, keep us updated because you help us all more than you know by talking about the very same issues we deal with!
Crysta we are so happy to hear we are helping. We never want to bore and be complainers on our blog, just keeping it real
Handling stress is something we really have to work on, we get jealous of people who really have a care free attitude. Wish we had that, but we start our days with our daily meditation and prayer! it helps remind us that God is with us and only gives us what we can handle. Thank you again for your kind words 
This is such a timely post for me! I’ve not been feeling “right” for a couple of years (after having 4 kids, no less), and have done blood test after blood test – all with the doc saying it’s “normal”, and I just don’t trust that! I just yesterday did a full workup (hormones and CBC panel) and should get the results soon! Well this time I’m going to ask for my numbers and get Kevin’s book! Good for you for being proactive in looking up your results! That’s what I need to do.. thanks for the info!!
mariah it is crazy how blood work can work and different doctors will see different results. I hope you find more answers this time around. We love Kevin and he does a great job in researching and talking with all types of doctors. hope it helps!
I actually have a slightly hyperthyroid right now. I just got my blood work back and am going through a very similar situation. Gosh, like we weren’t on the same page already with life! haha.
Be safe out there in with the hurricane!!
Hey girl that is crazy how we are so similar
guess you are our third twin! xo
I feel like doctors are trained to not give cause for alarm, especially if the results of something aren’t “abnormal.” I have been told by many a doctor that when we hear hooves, we think horses and not zebras. We live in a society, however, where being unhealthy is pretty standard and run-of-the-mill, so I would never be okay with falling in line with the average American as far as my health is concerned. A friend of mine had a similar experience with a doctor who was surprised by her bloodwork that she was pre-diabetic, but had nothing to offer as to how she might be able to make her blood healthier through diet, etc. because it wasn’t out of the “normal” range. Instead, the suggestion of going on Accutane was offered, and that was it! It sounds like you guys have a good idea on how to handle the information…you know stress has something to do with it and consequently getting worked up isn’t going to help. Stress has such a huge effect on the quality of life for everyone, whether or not they realize it. Whenever I exercise or practice yoga, I tend to treat is as moving meditation rather than blasting Lady Gaga on the ipod, although sometimes that is necessary, too.
I think as long as we find some point in the day to have peaceful brain time to focus on the breath, we’ll be a lot better off in the long run. I haven’t read very much on the thyroid, but our hormone levels effect so many aspects of our health… I’d be really interested to hear what you guys find out!
thanks Sarah! well said, and we totally agree. doctors nowadays are a little more careful with what they say. which we we all have to take our own health in our own hands
xoxo
Hey, girls!!! I’ve miss you
I am sorry to hear about the imbalances…but just TRY not to stress!!!
I was on BC for 10 years..that and an ED and overexercising, insomnia, and so on…I was a MESS! My hormones were all out of wack! I saw docs but never really went to an endocrinologist or anything. I am not sure where I stand now..but pre-baby I think I got things under control. My weight evened out (I was having a hard time with my wt).
You girls eat so healthy and exercise just try to manage the stress! i am not a doc or an expert but I have read a lot on hormonal imbalances to try and help myself. I wrote a while back about things that are enemy’s to the endocrine system http://www.thefitnessdish.com/?p=18
I have clients that have had so many blod tests done and everything seemed “normal” or just borderline..but couldn’t lose weight, had issues and so on. I think stress level plays a HUGE part..how you manage stress (stress including exercise stress), what you eat.
You girls are smart and do what’s best for your bodies. Are you balancig in some yoga with your HIIT Body Rock workouts? Sounds silly but maybe it can help! I am sure you know all the hormone balancing foods too. Good luck! Sending lots of love!
thanks Laury!!! we will check out your post!!! and oh yes we are trying to do more yoga these days to help balance it all out. plus not talk about things too much – bc that tends to make us stress even more LOL
we miss you too!! xoxo
I’ve nearly healed my Hashimotos (autoimmune & hypothyroid disease) over the past two years. I took a natural desicated thyroid hormone, even though a lot of my levels were within the range of normal. My naturopath has a different range he uses to determine blood work ranges. The initial naturopath who diagnosed me did *nothing* to help me understand the illness or what I could do to treat it.
My current ND saw this doctor speak and highly recommended this book to me. I still have to read it, but I’m certain it will reveal some really great information. http://www.amazon.com/Still-Thyroid-Symptoms-Tests-Normal/dp/1600376703
I’ll bet you are already doing a lot of great things to change your hormones: taking out gluten, casein, soy, eggs, and cane sugar. I have major stress issues, so I try to swallow DHA often. Also, it might be worth considering having a naturopath do neurotransmitter testing to see what amino acids can fill in the gaps, which can then help your body assimilate stress better. I really need to have this done; I’m sure GABA and tryptophan will do a world of good for me!
Good for you for being so proactive! You are going to rock this!
thank you Kelly, we hope so. it is all a learning game for us, but we are determined to figure it out. thanks for the book idea we will check it out! xoxo
Gosh stress is no fun! Then stressing over stress which then makes you more stressed… A cycle I need to work on too. I hope you both find a diet that works well for you! Keep us posted
I understand your worries with blood work not being quite “right”. I had blood work done and discovered my thyroid was a bit “sluggish”, my T4 is low. At this time I was also diagnosed with celiac disease which my doctor feels might be contributing to my thyroid issue and to my lack of ovulation. I went to my doctor to get full blood work done when my cycles stopped being regular.
So I’m in the hurry up and wait to see if diet changes will help my thyroid and my cycles- it is hard not to stress about this.
I would recommend “Taking Charge of Your Fertility”-it’s a great resource and explains hormones, cycles, and what potential obstacles might be happening, it also has solutions. : )
I teach yoga, I do yoga- highly recommend yogaglo and Elena Brower (she’s brilliant).
thanks Emma, that is one book we were considering!! and I think you are going to notice a difference with your results!! And thanks for the yoga ideas, we are planning on doing more
Thanks for sharing and being so honest. I obviously have stress issues, hence the crohns! I hope you get all you issues fixed and you ladies are feeling 100% soon! You deserve it!
xoxo
I so hear you on the stressing about the stress.
It’s perplexing when doctors say it’s ‘in range’ but really it’s lower than optimal.
IMPORTANT: On your Low TSH but having hypothyroid symptoms:–I had some of this same pattern and my ND said that this suggested that the pituitary wasn’t working right, because the pituitary signals the thyroid to make TSH and given my thyroid numbers, the TSH should have been high, not low. I took a pituitary supp for a while. I hope that’s some help.
I think we should definitely work toward feeling our best, no matter what the numbers are, and keep asking opinions of different experts but keep checking in with ourselves too.
Sending you lots of caring thoughts
love
Ela
Ela thank you so much!!! Sounds like your issues are similar, we will have to look into a pituitary supplement, thanks! and yes always striving to feel and be our best
xoxo
Hormones and stress are probably my biggest health issues, my story is very similar to yours. I’ve been on and off birth control for about 3/4 years, since I went on it originally to manage hormones. I hate it, and can feel what it does to my mind and body, but I have not gotten to the point where I can trust myself to make necessary dietary changes to menstruate without it. I’m thinking of consulting some kind of natural care specialist, but we shall see. Thanks for this post, it really gives me some great perspective. And good to know there are women out there going through the same issues, that I’m not alone.
Great post! You always hear so much controversial information and this is why I believe it is so important to pay attention to your own body as everyone’s body is unique!!
On stress, I think it affects us more than we know, mentally, physically, and emotionally! I work out, do yoga, and I incorporate meditation once in awhile and I am trying to be better about making it more of a routine! I am like you guys, I get stressed about being stressed bc I know it is not good and only harmful!
Look forward to learning more about the process and what you find out!
I have hypothyroidism and I think stress has a big effect on it as well. I seriously hate being on my medicine – the reason why I went on it to begin with was because I was not getting a period and my doctor thought once I got my hormones regulated it would come back. Umm.. one year after being on the meds and I have yet to get it.
You definitely can’t stress over things. Being aware of your health and staying educated about it does help. I miscarried twice due to lack of progesterone, so yeah, that’s a big deal. Not that you two are ready to have babies, but I think it’s important for overall help to keep your hormones in check. I’m glad you two know now and can manage things better!
I talk to people about their hormones all the time. What I’ve learned is that “normal” does not mean “optimal” and in fact….most people fall in the normal category—it’s too broad. Besides that, everyone’s optimal is different! I’ve been to some conferences lately on the topic of functional medicine, and these docs really get it!
Exploring like you’re doing is the key to optimal health…it’s all a process!
Lisa totally agree that everyone has different optimal levels, now we just have to find what works for us
I have hypothyroidism, as well as low every thing else! All my hormones aren’t even in the low “normal” range….just low. But I recently started going to a new doctor who specializes in hormones and endocrine system, and he is fabulous. He doesn’t give up, tell me not to worry or tell me to stress. He just works with me, and I know we will get it figured out. Good luck!
Trisha that is awesome! glad to hear you are getting some help and answers. best of luck to you too
Hey gals,
First off, yah twins! I’m an identical twin too!
I have congenital hypothyroidism, born without that little pesky butterfly gland… and have been battling with the proper medication regimen for years. I finally got hooked up with a wonderful endocrinologist who found that I was being overmedicated. When you’re overmedicated, or your TSH levels are low, your body CAN (different for everyone) exhibit similar behaviors to hypothyroidism, ie. Being overtired, loss of hair. Did you have any blood work on your T3 or T4 levels? Those are the different hormones that the thyroid creates. I have my tsh levels finally within normal limits, but my t4 levels are still low meaning I’m continuing to exhibit the symptoms of hypothyroidism. I’m right there with you on the exhaustion, my hair is even falling out! The frustrated thing about the thyroid stuff is that if you DO get medicated for it, it’s usually synthroid, which can take up to 4-6 weeks to really make a difference. I’ve also begun to think about the ‘baby years’. I am single and 28, but wanted to get things in good condition for the next few years. Unfortunately, when I went off Birth Control last year I have now developed amenorrhea. My gynecologist just seemed to pass it off as no big deal. No period since last August, yah right, no big deal. I left that appt so confused and frustrated. I spoke to my endocrinologist about it and she said for some reason, now my pituitary gland has shut down. Maybe if felt like it needed a year long vacation? The Endo recommended that now I go on birth control again, because even though it’s just a bandaid and not a solution to the problem my body will start to produce estrogen again and calcium can get to the bones!
Stress does play a major role, but when things starting to go all kerbobbled with your body, in my eyes, there must be another reason? I do workout to relieve stress, and I eat super healthy, which can sometimes be interpreted by doctors as anorexia… I’m so sick of being labeled that way because I eat 5 meals a day and am pretty good at logging calories vs exercise to make sure I eat enough. I saw you have some blogs on progesterone and the pituitary gland. Did you have luck with the Maca powder? When I get a chance this weekend, I’m going to read up more on your supplement suggestions.
I do wish you both luck, and am sorry to hear about your frustrations. However, that being said, thank you for sharing because it’s good to know that I’m not the only screwball body out there! Good luck from one tired body to another!
Eiren, thank you thank you so much for this comment. It is so nice to know that we are not the only was with these issues and still trying to figure it all out! It is frustrating on what doctors tell us to do. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to help with your thyroid. It is tricky isn’t? We will try to send you an email as a follow-up to your comment here soon. Thanks again! xoxo
Dr Lindsey Berksen is a 30 year expert on hormones. She has a website and her books are available on Amazon, as well. She is funny and delightful. She teaches other doctors about hormones.
I took an online class with her last year; there was a lot of information but probably IMHO it might be better to have her books because the information was so overwhelming it was easy to not absorb it all in the online class.
Yowsa!!! The cake looks insanely good, girlies!!! Ive been on a mint kick lately too with all the wild peppermint around here. I made mint bars the other day with a chocolate crust… and mine also had irish moss. Would be cool if we could swap a piece of dessert.
Sorry to hear that things are a little outta wack with your blood. When i was sick my thyroid was a mess. My homeopathic doc worked on it and now im super duper! I wish you the best of luck, and I know it can be healed.
Michele, saw your msg on my post and yes absolutely, email me anytime. heather@sweetlyraw.com.
Thanks Heathy
and yes would love to swap pieces of dessert! YUM!
Hormonal health is SO critical as everything else can’t work properly unless they are balanced. Low progesterone levels are very typical for western wom
Hormonal health is SO critical as everything else can’t work properly unless they are balanced. Low progesterone levels are very typical for western women, as is estrogen dominance, because of environmental estrogens and also most of us have been on birth control. Apparently birth control can dramatically affect your hormones for more than 10 years after you stop taking it, and in that time your system becomes so much more unbalanced that everything is affected.
You are definitely doing the best thing – experimenting to find what works for you!
Thank you Casey, we are trying
I read this last night and thought of you two:
Chocolate
The bad rap: Chocolate has lots of fat, lots of sugar—and it tastes amazing, so it must be bad for you.
The good news: Dark chocolate contains flavanols, antioxidants that seem to have a blood-thinning effect, which can benefit cardiovascular health. And, recently, researchers in Switzerland reported that eating dark chocolate (1.4 ounces of it) every day for two weeks reduced stress hormones, including cortisol, in highly stressed people. But be sure to account for the calories (1.4 ounces delivers 235)—or you may be stressed to see extra pounds creeping on.
See you guys just need to eat more chocolate!!!
I’m so happy to have stumbled upon your informative blog – i just had more blood work done today and had to beg my doctor to run hormone levels. I understand why she would hesitate … my cycles have been erratic (ranging from 15-60 days!) so she contended that the results would just indicate I wasn’t yet menopausal. But she ultimately agreed and also ran my thyroid again. I’ve been off BCP for 8 months now and was so unprepared for what would happen with sad anger and even rage, anxiety, major hair loss, insomnia and a host of other problems. I feel like I am going out of my mind. Daily!!! My doc wants me to go back on the pill to regulate my cycles but I am totally not wanting to do that and I likewise don’t want to be on an antidepressant which she recommended. I exercise regularly which helps with my moods but i think it’s time to take my already decent food intake to a higher level of raw foods. i appreciate your sharing so much; it makes me feel hopeful.
Hi Ladies, so I have had similar issues. I was on BC for 14 yrs and came off a year ago. I have not had a period yet. My husband and I are trying to conceive, so I’ve been going to a reproductive endocrinologist and having LOTS of blood work done. Essentially, women who have been on BC for long periods of time, have high levels of stress, lead very active lifestyles and have low levels of body fat have a really hard time reregulating after BC. It’s super frustrating, but the biggest things I have taken away from it is to try to decrease stress/take better care of myself mentally and emotionally, eating lots of good fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil, omega 3 fish), not push myself too hard at the gym and give it time!!! I know this is esaier said than done! I’d love to know what is working for you guys in terms of regulating hormones and cycles!
Thanks Mariana, sounds like we are very similar! yes it is frustrating not getting the period back and having hormones all over the place. we have been lucky in the since that we have gotten our periods, but still not quite regular pattern yet. Good luck with all your test and I hope that you get your answers soon so you can have a baby
HUGS!!! We shall do a follow up post on hormones, but mostly we just eat healthy like you do and know that our hormones will get back to normal soon. And a great book we just read that might help you is The Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner. We are following some of her ideas to help our hormones!!xoxo
Hi Lovely Ladies~ It has been awhile since you wrote this post but I just ran across it again and wanted to comment and let you know I hope you are feeling much better! I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was dealing with adrenal fatigue at the same time. I was going on medication for thyroid and really didn’t want to for the adrenals too. My naturopath had me start taking rhodiola and ginseng, as well as a good B-complex. Those supplements helped my adrenals and stress levels sooooo much! Other adaptogens like maca, ashwaganda and holy basil did not work as well for me (although I still take ashwaganda for the thyroid) and as we know, every person responds differently to….well, everything! Anyway, just wanted to share what was helping me with my stress beyond healthy living. I am taking the rhodiola and ginseng 30 minutes before breakfast. Love and hugs to you both
Mikelle, thank you so much for coming back and letting us know how you are doing!! We are happy to hear you are doing better. We have heard about rhodiola and ginseng, we will look more into that. We take maca occasionally not regularly anymore. And we do take holy basil when we remember, haha. Thanks again!
I just came across this post and wanted to comment! I hope things have worked out for you since you wrote it. I have very similar issues – was on BC for about 4-5 years, had an ED during that, then went off BC in 2009, and I got one very very light period just after my (stress-free) honeymoon in August of 2010. Nothing since then. I am almost certain that it’s stress for me. I was diagnosed with PCOS, and I have low levels of hormones. I don’t know the specific #’s – I should get a copy of my bloodwork though. Still working on it. Would love to hear an update from you!
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Just recently had my check ups on my thyroid and the lab results wet out find according to my doctor and she even had advice me to continue my medications and do the same thing just like what I had before. Does it only means that I am no longer a captive of this hormone complication? And can now tolerate diet pills for I am now weighing too much and is already been enormous.
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Hey girls! Just found your blog and I loooove it – I’m new to the blogging world =) This post got me super interested, I struggle with hormone imbalance as well. I actually have polycycstic ovarian syndrome, so my reproductive hormones are all outta whack. I’m not ovulating either! I’m a vegetarian and I’ve been thinking about changing my diet as a way to help balance my hormones – I’ve been doing a vegan “detox” I guess you could say for the last week, just to see if eliminating dairy might help, and I’ve thought of trying out eating raw for a little while too. I just don’t want to go back on birth control, so I’m looking for natural ways (nutrition, homeopathic/naturopathic medecine, vitamin/mineral supplements) to figure this thing out! Anyways I was just wondering what you girls think, have you done/changed anything in your diet to try and balance your progesterone levels? Have you heard that vegan or raw diets can promote hormone balance? I’d love to get your advice =)
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Hello Jessi, so glad that you found our blog! This are all great questions. We have changed our diet over the years since we have been blogging. We were high raw vegans for a few years and enjoyed it though did not see any major changes in our health. We were still having issues with our hormones and other things. So this past year we have added eggs and fish back into our diet and have been loving it, plus many supplements to help with hormones and stress. Eating a very low sugar diet has also helped a lot!!! We only have stevia and sweet potatoes as our sweetness. Plus we have a lot of healthy fats and Omega 3. Some pills that we are taking that we have noticed helped us our zinc, holy basil, digestive enzymes, a good probiotic and most recently we started taking Ashwagandha, DIM (estrogen metabolism formula) and Niacin. Going the more naturally route just takes longer to balance out hormones, but do not give up. Everyone is different. But eating a clean diet should really help!! Another book that you might be interested in reading that has helps us a lot is called The Hormone Diet.
HUGS!!
Thanks so much for your advice! I do take a really good quality multivitamin/multimineral supplement, but I’ll look into the other supplements you mentioned for sure. And I already eat natural sugars and sweeteners very sparingly, so I’m with you on the stevia!! (I actually just got an english toffee flavoured stevia…you should try and find it – it is ridiculously good!) I’ve never heard of Ashwagandha, I’ll ask my naturopath about it at my next appointment. And I’ve seen that book but I’m definitely going to go buy it now =) It’s so helpful hearing other peoples’ experiences when it comes to hormonal issues – they’re just so diverse and there’s never one set remedy that can heal everybody! So again, thank you!
Jessi@slotheatz recently posted..More Molasses Please!
Jessi, yes ask you doctor. and we wish you all the best on healing your hormones! together we will figure it out. xoxo keep in touch
I appreciate you posting on this topic. I have struggled with acne for most of my life. I can remember being in about 5th grade and having my first breakouts that only progressively got worse. After a round of Accutane, my skin was flawless…. for about 6 months. The breakouts persisted and I still deal with it. I have gotten better with it, learning better nutrition, even when I didn’t think I had necessarily a bad diet to begin with. In my last job I happened to work for a salivary hormone testing lab which really expanded my understanding into this very complicated, hormone charged issue. I find it so interesting that a majority of the docs you will go to don’t/or struggle to understand hormone balancing, like I have found. After having my hormones tested several times, I am also anovulatory. Having my little arsenal of information I learned at my past job, I usually end up going into a docs office and educating THEM on my hormones. Asking for specific tests such as things to test for PCOS, etc. and I consistently hear, “well you aren’t overweight, that is normally something we attribute with overweight women.” I recently found some information on Apple Cider Vinegar and thought I would give it a shot to adding it into my diet. I have found that when I incorporate it into my diet, as well as use it in a homemade toner (yes, it stinks until it dries) it really helps my skin out. Not a cure-all, but helps.