Hormone Imbalance

Tanisse

Does anyone know if eating clean will actually help with Hormone Imbalance? If so did you seek a Doctor before and after changing your diet, and did you get proof that the diet actually helped? I spoke to a doctor and he said that I had a hormone imbalance but there wasn't anything I could really do except for stay away from sweets and starches. He says there isn't any medication or natural medication I can take to change it. So far what he said is correct, but I find it hard to believe that there is absolutely NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. My doctor btw is an Endocrinologist, which makes it even crazier!

godblessourhome

i have been on hormone replacement for 6 years. lately, i have had to go in almost weekly for blood tests and tweaking of my hormones. i *do* think that what i eat matters in how my body reacts to the hormones and how it chooses to process it, just like a coumadin patient. however, i can not state that eating a certain way is more helpful, other than eating lower carb (around 100-130 g a day). good luck finding something that will work for you.

Tanisse

Thank you for your response

jadesign19

Im not sure if this helps but I have hashimotos hypothyroidism. I went to the endocrinologist and they put me on synthroid (a more accurate and expensive thyroid medication.). After this appointment, I reached rock bottom in health, emotions, and life in general. The doctors were getting ready to take my uterus away, my cycle was so bad. There was no magic pill that was going to help me, there was my hashimotos but I wasn't going to let that be an excuse anymore. I guess the fear of being on more medication, and the emotional despair, I pulled a strength that I never knew I had and took control.
I did research on diets for my condition. I searched for friends on MFP with similar condition. I became diligent on MFP and began to run. I made a plan and tweaked it as I went. So three months after that appointment, I went back to the endocrinologist. She wasn't aware of any changes I made to diet and exercise. She was so happy with my lab work. She was ecstatic over the weight I was losing and called me a model patient.
That appt. was so important and motivating for me to follow my plan. My cycle has been so much better. I ran a 5k and have two more set up. My weight loss is slow but at least I'm not gaining consistently like I used to. I'm in better physical shape now than I was 20 years ago.
If I would have listened to all the doctors in the last two years, my life would be pretty miserable right now. I'd probably be a lethargic depressed lump with no uterus and on lots of meds.
So to end my ramble, I think clean eatting, exercise, and patience can help balance your hormones. It couldn't hurt.:flowerforyou:

redhousecat

I am a firm believer that healthy eating will regulate EVERYTHING regarding the endocrine system.
I always thought I ate "healthy", but then realized, not so much. I switched to eating more clean foods and my health has improved dramatically.

Tanisse

Thank you so much for telling me your story. This is exactly what I was looking for. I am so discouraged at times about it. I eat really healthy as it is, but every now and again mother nature comes around and I lose it! LOL. So I think I am going to try it for 30 days at first and just take it month by month. Thank you!

Tanisse

How long did it take for you to start seeing results after you switched your eating?

gailmelanie

That doctor is wrong! There are remedies for hormone imbalances. I can tell you from experience that lower carb, higher protein diets will make you feel better as will losing weight.. But... that doesn't fix the underlying problem. I recommend looking up a doctor in your area that specializes in "bioidentical hormones," one who will be very thorough with bloodwork and tracking your symptoms. I am in the SF Bay area and there are a number here who do that. I am seeing one and have finally seen results with the symptoms I first went there to alleviate. It is expensive and some might be covered by your insurance, depending on what coverage you have, but for me it has been well worth the money and time spent to get to this point, which is nearly pain free and losing weight slowly.

jadesign19

How long did it take for you to start seeing results after you switched your eating?

My metabolism is extremely slow. I suffered the "no carb flu" for almost two weeks. That was tough. But I started in April and it took me until the end of June to physically see a difference. However my energy level was so much better withen three to four weeks after starting my new eatting patterns.
Just remember to be patient with your weight loss, and change it up if you need.

Tanisse

Thank you for that information, I will look into it. I found it hard to believe that there wasn't anything I could do. I felt and feel at time defeated. I believe I want to give it a go. I'll have to make small changes so its more long term. Carbs are my bestfriend, but I guess I better break the news with my bread, pizza, sweets, pasta..this will not be easy..lol! It's worth it to. If you ladies have done it then I know I can also. Thank you again for making me feel not so alone.

Tanisse

Oh, the Carb flu, eek! I've had that before. That is tough! But I'm willing to change to change my overall health. Thank you for sharing your story again. It was really needed.

speechsteff

Dealing with some hormonal imbalance as well....what hormones are you having issues with...thyroid? estrogen? testosterone? There ARE things you can do...maybe try a different doctor. The low carb is so hard but it does help. I've also had issues with my cycle lately and my thyroid was elevated...waiting for a 2nd blood test to confirm. I've had PCOS and been on meds for 15 years...I would love to support you in your journey and we can help each other with the carb situation .

Enigmatica

I went through horrible hormonal imbalance problems awhile back but was very very fortunate to find a doctor who's both knowledgeable and supportive about using diet and exercise as much as possible to get healthy. I had pretty serious estrogen dominance, so she made a number of recommendations about how to adjust my diet to deal with that, and said to try natural progesterone cream, too. It's worked! And it sure beats the recommendations of 3 different gynecologists that I should just have a hysterectomy and spend the rest of my life on artificial hormones. I've also had problems with sleep, which my doctor tracked back to hormonal issues, and she's helped improve that tremendously too.

What she's taught me is that if you want to make this work you have to be patient, persistent, and methodical in your approach. Logging your food carefully and noting how your body reacts is crucial because there is no one size fits all remedy with this. Some people with estrogen imbalance do well by adding ground flax to their diets, for example. Others might find that makes things worse! It depends on your specific situation. Oh, and it can change without warning, which gets really confusing. You have to learn to listen to your body. My doctor has been through this herself, so she understands.

She said a lot of doctors won't even try to work with patients on this kind of "natural" approach to hormone balancing because the average person doesn't have the patience and self-discipline for it. They eat stuff they shouldn't, then get frustrated and blame the doctor because it's "not working" and they end up demanding a pill to fix it. Plus insurance often won't support this approach either. I pay an extra $1500 per year to work with this doctor. But to me she's worth every penny because she'll spend as much time as needed to help me with whatever I need. She listens to me, encourages me to take control of my health, and if she thinks I'm making a mistake she patiently explains WHY instead of just saying that won't work.

If you want to see an example of the kind of "get to know your body" support she's teaching me, check out my recent blog about experimenting with how my body reacts to carbs: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Enigmatica

Tanisse

You girls know your stuff! I am so encouraged! I really feel hope! I know its going to be difficult. I'm really afraid of the carb flu, but I know its not impossible!