Hormonal Balance and the Menstrual Cycle

The monthly menstrual cycle women must deal with can certainly be inconvenient. For some, the inconvenience is made worse by physical symptoms that can include cramps, insomnia, mood swings, and so on. What’s the solution? Pharmaceutical companies would say drugs, but that may not necessarily be true. Managing the menstrual cycle while at the same time promoting good health may be a simple matter of addressing hormonal imbalances.

Hormones are essential chemicals the body uses to regulate a long list of functions. When hormones are unbalanced, whatever systems they affect stop working as they should. Unfortunately for women, the menstrual cycle is not only affected by hormonal imbalance, but it can also lead to further imbalances that create a whole host of problems. This needs to change. It is time we start looking more at hormone balance as a means of restoring health instead of continuing to take drugs to mask symptoms.

Hormones and Menstrual Cycle Symptoms

To give you a better idea of how hormonal balance could help improvement menstrual cycle management, let us take a look at some of the hormones most influenced at this time of the month. The first is insulin.

Women who experience significant hunger during their monthly period may be suffering from lower insulin levels. Sporadic bouts of hunger may lead to eating large amounts of unhealthy food, which, after just a few hours, inevitably leads to a crash as blood sugar levels drop. This further throws off insulin and encourages the woman to repeat the cycle.

Another important hormone to think about as cortisol. This hormone is critical not only to the menstrual cycle but also to fertility and sex drive. When cortisol is unbalanced, it can cause a woman to experience exhaustion during the menstrual cycle. In some women, it also causes insomnia and anxiety during that time of the month.

There are other chemicals to worry about including estrogen and a companion bacteria known as estrobolome. Both of are key what makes a woman a woman. The point is that hormonal balance plays a significant role in how a woman experiences the symptoms of her cycle. That time of the month does not have to be excruciatingly painful, physically exhausting, or mentally and emotionally trying. Unless there is some underlying physical issue causing problems, most women can experience significant improvement by achieving a proper hormonal balance.

Diet and Exercise: The Old Standbys

Now, if you are wondering about taking synthetic hormones in order to improve the menstrual cycle, you’re looking down the wrong road. The old standbys of diet and exercise continue to be the best way to manage hormonal balance. Of course, there is room for supplements that promote nutrition, digestive health, etc., but they may not be necessary for women who eat well and exercise regularly.

My naturopathic approach to wellness is based on my belief that physical healing is best achieved
holistically. Rather than simply prescribing drugs that mask symptoms, I am more interested in finding out what causes someone to feel a certain way so that the underlying cause can be corrected. In the case of difficult menstrual cycles, it is relatively easy to address causes relating to poor hormonal balance.

There are some very simple things related to diet and exercise that can go a long way toward changing the way a woman approaches her monthly cycle. If you want to know more, feel free to stop in and see me at my office – or a naturopath in your area – who can help you improve hormonal balance and your monthly cycle.