Xenoestrogens (manmade chemicals with potent estrogenic properties), stress, nutritional deficiencies, disturbed or deficient sleep and obesity negatively impact hormonal levels. be a disaster or a standstill. The balance between these two hormone classes is as important as their actual levels. This applies to both hormones generated internally and those acquired through replacement therapy. Too much estrogen relative to progesterone creates a host of problems which include weight gain, PMS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, breast tenderness, headaches, leg cramps, gallstones, high blood pressure, blood clots, nausea, fluid retention and an increased risk of endometrial and breast cancer. Too much progesterone relative to estrogen causes its own set of problems, which include depression, fatigue, somnambulence and breast tenderness as well.
Appropriate—and inappropriate—supplementation Decades of using synthetic versions of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone in a variety of inappropriate ways combined with faulty reasoning has generated a plethora of modern myths which do not apply to balanced and biologically appropriate hormone treatments. One such myth is that testosterone is hard on the liver and quite dangerous. If this were true, our hospitals would be full of virile young men in their teens and early 20s as their testosterone peaks. Conventional medical doctors have known for decades that progesterone counters the negative effects that excessive estrogens can cause throughout a woman’s system. With consistent use of inappropriate hormones like Provera, however, this knowledge dwindled to the myth that progesterone only protects the uterus and is therefore unnecessary if a woman has had a hysterectomy Many options are available for both men and women today besides choosing between inappropriate hormones or none at all. Bioidentical estrogens, progesterone and testosterone are available from not only compounding pharmacies but conventional ones as well. “Bioidentical” is the term that most accurately describes these hormones. Since they are synthesized in a lab from wild yam or soy
they are not, technically, all natural. Unlike conjugated estrogens and Provera, however, which are also derived from soy or wild yam, bioidentical hormones are exact replicas of those found in humans. Premarin, on the other hand, is far from bioidentical for women, though it is all natural, coming from pregnant mares’ urine. A few carefully selected bioidentical hormones can potentially treat numerous diseases as well as provide a variety side benefits instead of side effects.
How to maintain a healthy second chakra To keep a healthy hormonal balance, eat organic food whenever it’s available. Many pesticides are xenoestrogens—manmade chemicals with potent estrogenic properties. Xenoestrogens are endocrine disrupters which negatively impact both the levels and the functions of numerous hormones and are deleterious to almost every creature on earth. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, disturbed or deficient sleep and obesity also negatively impact hormonal levels. For women, foods containing phytoestrogens like soy can counter some of estrogen’s stimulatory effects. Many herbal preparations have hormonal stimulating and balancing properties. For men, saw palmetto berries prevent the conversion of testosterone into a hormone known to promote prostate problems and male pattern baldness. Other ways to maintain a healthy second chakra: Practice yoga, focusing on postures that free up the pelvis such as pelvic rocks and hip circles. Spend time in and around water. Drink a lot of water. Sit by a river watching its grace and power. Go to the ocean and let the waves baptize you. Take a bubble bath by candlelight. Go dancing alone or with someone you love. Visit some of the 774,520 million acres of wilderness in Utah. u Todd Mangum, MD, is director of the Web of Life Wellness Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
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