Hormone Balance 101 - A Short Course
In November of 2010 my life was forever changed. Dr. Stacey Bean, of Madison, WI, presented a women’s wellness seminar – which primarily covered hormone imbalances as it relates to environmental exposures to chemicals in our hygiene and skin care products, food, air. The books she recommended, which proved to be the catalyst for my own health journey, are authored, in part by Dr. John Lee. Lee was the pioneer in providing women hormone balance through bio-identical hormone replacement therapy –which is vastly different from the synthetic Rx hormones that allopathic medicine likes to dole out. Synthetic hormones (including xeno-estrogens found in our skin care products) mimic estrogen and therefore create a state of estrogen dominance.
What this means is that progesterone, which is the only hormone that cancels out excess estrogen, cannot keep up! Excess estrogen compounds upon one another, and it is a growth hormone. This is why we develop ovarian cysts, lumpy breast tissue, and even polyps in the colon! And yes, tumors. When a man experiences estrogen dominance it reduces testosterone, and contributes to mid-section weight gain, and eventually, could lead to erectile dysfunction.
SELF EDUCATION IS KEY!! I can assure anyone who reads this that the vast majority of your primary care physicians will know little to nothing about the intricate dance of hormones in the body, and certainly not the non-prescription alternatives to rebalancing ones hormones. Dr. Bean stated at her presentation that in all her years as a med student, they spent a TOTAL of 5 days on hormones. I hear stories from my clients all the time that when they tell their doctor how they are feeling, their immediate response, without any lab work to check on hormone balances of estrogens, progesterone, cortisol and testosterone, is to prescribe depression medications (which have their own side effects). Women are seeking real answers. Reading the books mentioned in this article empower individuals, men and women, to equip you to be proactive in your own wellness program.
Dr. Bean recommended that I read ANY books from the series “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About….” Written by Dr. John Lee and co-authors. The first book I read is:
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause – a jaw dropping, eye opening book to say the least – about the environmental exposures we experience that contribute to hormone imbalances. Lee reiterates what I had learned that petro chemicals (Mineral oil, petrolatum, etc.) mimic estrogen in the body.
In the spring of 2011 SIX girlfriends shared that they had found breast lumps, two of which were diagnosed with cancer. I quickly moved What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer to the top of my priority list to read…and it is the book that forever changed my life. A couple of paragraphs on nutrition made me realize that what I thought was a healthy whole grain cereal breakfast (because it was, afterall, endorsed by the American Heart Association) was contributing to a hormone imbalance in my body, definitely NOT lowering my cholesterol as the box of cereal promised…and from that moment on my journey to regaining my health began.
Every woman should consider reading Lee’s book on breast cancer by age 25, if not earlier. Mothers should gift it to, or read with, their teenage daughters. Today it is no commonplace for women in their 30s and 40s to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I can assure you that buying make up for your daughter’s at the local Walgreen’s, Shopko and Walmarts are not a hormone balancing approach to long term health, and sadly I see young girls wearing make up regularly in only the 4th grade!
I have an article on my website about parabens, recently a article was released stating that every breast cancer biopsy tested had presence of parabens in the breast tissue. It is important to make mention that the book on breast cancer also discusses men’s hormone balance and prostate cancer. Dr. Lee does have a book in the series as well on prostate cancer.
Another book I highly recommend is The Miracle of Bio Identical Hormones by my now friend, Dr. Michael Platt. Dr. Platt was a part of my husband’s “cancer journey team” as I could find absolutely no one in the Madison, WI area who knew anything more than I did about bio-identical (versus synthetic prescription ) hormone therapy for men’s prostate health. An article on auto immune and hormones is also on my website. Platt’s book is available in the Southwestern Wisconsin library system, but I suspect you will want to highlight, dog ear and flag pages in this eye-opening book. For anyone affected by ADD, ADHD, and other neuro imbalances – this book can provide valuable insight, and suggestions in self-help.
Of course there is much more to hormone imbalances than meet the eye. Blood sugars and insulin, Lyme parasite and pathogen presence, and so much more could be at the root cause of a hormone imbalance. Bio resonance scanning is a non invasive approach in determining root cause imbalances and creating a blue print to restore the intricate dance of hormones in the body.
Written by Rita Shimniok, Purely Living Wellness LLC July 2017
Please read disclaimer at bottom of page.
Contact author for permission to share or for a PDF to be copied and distributed at your next women's meeting or wellness fair.
What this means is that progesterone, which is the only hormone that cancels out excess estrogen, cannot keep up! Excess estrogen compounds upon one another, and it is a growth hormone. This is why we develop ovarian cysts, lumpy breast tissue, and even polyps in the colon! And yes, tumors. When a man experiences estrogen dominance it reduces testosterone, and contributes to mid-section weight gain, and eventually, could lead to erectile dysfunction.
SELF EDUCATION IS KEY!! I can assure anyone who reads this that the vast majority of your primary care physicians will know little to nothing about the intricate dance of hormones in the body, and certainly not the non-prescription alternatives to rebalancing ones hormones. Dr. Bean stated at her presentation that in all her years as a med student, they spent a TOTAL of 5 days on hormones. I hear stories from my clients all the time that when they tell their doctor how they are feeling, their immediate response, without any lab work to check on hormone balances of estrogens, progesterone, cortisol and testosterone, is to prescribe depression medications (which have their own side effects). Women are seeking real answers. Reading the books mentioned in this article empower individuals, men and women, to equip you to be proactive in your own wellness program.
Dr. Bean recommended that I read ANY books from the series “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About….” Written by Dr. John Lee and co-authors. The first book I read is:
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause – a jaw dropping, eye opening book to say the least – about the environmental exposures we experience that contribute to hormone imbalances. Lee reiterates what I had learned that petro chemicals (Mineral oil, petrolatum, etc.) mimic estrogen in the body.
In the spring of 2011 SIX girlfriends shared that they had found breast lumps, two of which were diagnosed with cancer. I quickly moved What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer to the top of my priority list to read…and it is the book that forever changed my life. A couple of paragraphs on nutrition made me realize that what I thought was a healthy whole grain cereal breakfast (because it was, afterall, endorsed by the American Heart Association) was contributing to a hormone imbalance in my body, definitely NOT lowering my cholesterol as the box of cereal promised…and from that moment on my journey to regaining my health began.
Every woman should consider reading Lee’s book on breast cancer by age 25, if not earlier. Mothers should gift it to, or read with, their teenage daughters. Today it is no commonplace for women in their 30s and 40s to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I can assure you that buying make up for your daughter’s at the local Walgreen’s, Shopko and Walmarts are not a hormone balancing approach to long term health, and sadly I see young girls wearing make up regularly in only the 4th grade!
I have an article on my website about parabens, recently a article was released stating that every breast cancer biopsy tested had presence of parabens in the breast tissue. It is important to make mention that the book on breast cancer also discusses men’s hormone balance and prostate cancer. Dr. Lee does have a book in the series as well on prostate cancer.
Another book I highly recommend is The Miracle of Bio Identical Hormones by my now friend, Dr. Michael Platt. Dr. Platt was a part of my husband’s “cancer journey team” as I could find absolutely no one in the Madison, WI area who knew anything more than I did about bio-identical (versus synthetic prescription ) hormone therapy for men’s prostate health. An article on auto immune and hormones is also on my website. Platt’s book is available in the Southwestern Wisconsin library system, but I suspect you will want to highlight, dog ear and flag pages in this eye-opening book. For anyone affected by ADD, ADHD, and other neuro imbalances – this book can provide valuable insight, and suggestions in self-help.
Of course there is much more to hormone imbalances than meet the eye. Blood sugars and insulin, Lyme parasite and pathogen presence, and so much more could be at the root cause of a hormone imbalance. Bio resonance scanning is a non invasive approach in determining root cause imbalances and creating a blue print to restore the intricate dance of hormones in the body.
Written by Rita Shimniok, Purely Living Wellness LLC July 2017
Please read disclaimer at bottom of page.
Contact author for permission to share or for a PDF to be copied and distributed at your next women's meeting or wellness fair.