The Roles of Our Hormones
Jun 10, 2022
Oestrogen
Oestrogen’s primary role, if you forget everything else is to; Build and grow things! In technical terms it is an anabolic hormone. It does great things for us like; develop our follicles into eggs ready to be fertilised, protects our bones by making them strong and helps to prevent alzheimers. It has also unfortunately been known to feed female cancers because of its ‘growing’ nature, allowing damaged cells to grow and replicate. Oestrogen is sourced from several areas; It can be produced in your body (endogenous) the best kind, from plants (Phyto-oestrogens) and from plastics or non-organic compounds (Xeno-oestrogens and synthetic oestorgens). As a general hard and fast rule, endogenous oestrogen and phyto-oestrogens promote good health and xeno-oestrogen’s are like the evil twin, that promotes the negative affects of oestrogen. Check out these recipes high in naturally occurring phyto-oestrogens. Also this website has a great list of chemicals to check for and avoid on your skincare and makeup.
Progesterone
Remembering this bad boy hormone is dominant in the late phase of our cycle, it has a calming affect on our brain, and has been called an anti-anxiety hormones. It boosts our feel good chemicals (serotinin), is sleep promoting and acts like a repellant with water, hence why we can be having more frequent trips to the lou and feel bloated in the later stage of the cycle. When our hormones are out of balance, or our progesterone levels are low, we can notice; PMS, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, miserable periods, irritability, and even rage. These symptoms can come around Peri-menopause when we stop ovulating regularly, more on that here.
PHD EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST AND NUTRITIONIST
DR. STACEY SIMS
"Hormones tell our body what to do. How to eat, sleep and even when to grow. They give us our appetite and sex drive. They help us have babies, They make us happy, sad and giddy in love.
In men, these hormones are pretty stable day in and day out (though they certainly change over a lifetime). In women, however, it’s another story. And that story centres around the menstrual cycle."
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