Are Your Hormones Out of Balance
(these are the hormones that regulate your metabolism, mood, sleep, thoughts, breathing, heart rate, etc…)
Place a 1, 2, or 3 to all that apply
1 = mild or occasionally
2 = moderate or often
3 = severe or almost all the time
___ Forgetful/mental sluggishness, reduced initiative
___ Skin is coarse, dry and scaly
___ Cold hands and feet, always cold
___ Hair falling-out, coarse, sparse
___ Headaches upon awakening, which decreases during the day
___ Cry easily, worse with change in seasons
___ Easily fatigued or sleepy during day
___ Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia or Fibromyalgia
___ Gain weight easily
___ Decrease in appetite
___ Outer third of eyebrow thinning or disappearing
___ Thick brittle nails or weak and rigid
___ Constant fatigue and easily exhausted
___ Craving for sweets or salty foods
___ Sensitive to minor changes in weather and surroundings
___ Dizzy or lightheadedness upon standing
___ Catch colds or infections easily
___ Nails weak and rigid
___ Easily perspire
___ Allergies and sinus sensitivities
___ Retain water or swelling
___ Reduced or absent libido
___ Blood sugar imbalances
___ Midmorning / afternoon slumps and cravings
___ Irritability, depression and mood swings
Total score: _______
Results: _______
1 – 6 Hormone and chemical imbalances don’t seem to be a problem.
7 – 11 Occasional hormonal and chemical imbalances may easily be corrected by regulating blood sugar, supporting adrenal function, improving digestive function.
12 plus Definite hormonal and chemical imbalances need to be addressed in order to improve overall health. Hormonal, chemical imbalances are exasperated by digestive difficulties, skipping meals, poor dietary choices, adrenal exhaustion, etc. Follow the recommended “IRS protocol” and break that vicious cycle to improve your health.
Tips on balancing hormonal and chemical imbalances:
ü Many of the hormones that regulate your body are produced by your adrenal glands and thyroid…they regulate your metabolism (fat-burning zone), mood, energy, heart rate, breathing, etc…
ü Stress will interfere with normal adrenal and thyroid function.
ü Both the adrenal glands and thyroid need various nutrients in order to function properly. When the body is deficient in specific nutrients that drive these two glands, you can cause an under or over active adrenal gland or thyroid.
ü Cortisol and adrenaline are two of our primary stress hormones ….cortisol is NOT a good or bad hormone…it does what it is supposed to do, but if your body is constantly having to produce more, due to continued stress your adrenal glands can easily become depleted.
ü This cause poor adrenal function and will lead to many of the symptoms listed above.
ü Constant stress and the continued demand for cortisol and adrenaline will interfere with normal thyroid function and can lead to weight gain, fatigue, depression, etc.
- liver function and lead to headaches, PMS, allergies, etc…
- reproductive function and cause decreased progesterone, testosterone, loss of libido, PMS, hot flashes, fertility, etc…
- digestive function and lead to food allergies, ulcers, irritable bowel, Crohn’s, Celiac, etc…
- immune function and lead to increased susceptibility to colds, flu’s, allergies, sinusitis and autoimmune disease
- mental function and cause decreased serotonin, melatonin and GABA, which effect mood, depression, anxiety, sleep, etc
- cardiac function and lead to increased blood pressure, rapid heart beat, pounding chest, etc.
- fitness level and lead to the inability to add lean muscle by reducing the release of growth hormones (GH), IgF-1, testosterone.
*** Stress, Diet and Exercise can increase or decrease various hormones and brain chemicals...
***Constant stress will deplete progesterone and serotonin levels.
Decreased progesterone can cause PMS, hot flashes, night sweats, loss of libido, etc...
Decreased serotonin is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, cravings, and weight gain.
