Hormones are substances produced in one part of our body that provide functions in another part of the body. Almost every part of the body is impacted by hormones and almost all hormones are related together. They work in a balancing system. When one is low, another will become high. Over time, hormone imbalances can cause chronic issues that can lead to diseases or even cancer.
There are many different causes behind why one might struggle with facial acne, which is what makes skincare so confusing for some. One of the causes of acne is hormone imbalances. When you have an overproduction of oil on your skin this can trap bacteria and dead skin cells in a gland on the surface of the skin which causes inflammation and acne. This overproduction of oil can be regulated through your hormones specifically, androgens. Androgens like testosterone and DHEA convert to form DHT which is an enzyme that can increase oil production in the sebaceous glands, the glands that produce oil. Blood sugar imbalances are often a root cause behind elevated testosterone levels, and stress is often the root cause behind elevated DHEA levels. Additionally, around the middle of your cycle near ovulation, testosterone levels will peak so it is common to note if you have acne specifically around this time. If you struggle with hormonal acne, here are 10 natural remedies for hormonal acne.
Progesterone is a sex hormone released from the ovaries that is vital for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The hormone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy. It is released from the corpus luteum which is the remains of the ovarian follicle which releases the ovum or egg. Progesterone has 2 different paths each month depending on fertilization and ovulation. If your ovulated egg is fertilized, then progesterone rises after ovulation to help thicken the uterine lining for pregnancy. If your egg does not become fertilized after ovulation, then progesterone peaks and then declines, because you do not need to prepare for pregnancy. The uterine lining will shed and become a period. Progesterone is also involved in breast development and breastfeeding. Problems can arise when progesterone levels are too low regardless if you are attempting to conceive. Certain foods contain nutrients to help increase progesterone in the body.
All the hormones in the body are connected and when one is too high or too low, this will impact all other hormones.
Stress and sex hormones are a family of hormones called steriod hormones, meaning they are built from cholesterol.
Other hormones are proteins built from peptide chains (chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein).
These hormone balancing foods provide essential nutrients for healthy hormone production and metabolism
Progesterone is the hormone released in the second half of your menstrual cycle after ovulation. It is produced by the corpus luteum, the sac that remains once you ovulate & turns into a hormone-secreting gland during the luteal phase. It’s important to dig into your root causes of low (or no progesterone). Supplements may help to support a nutrition, lifestyle, & movement foundation. It is also important to focus on food sources of these nutrients!
Hormones are the chemicals in our body that control many functions like hunger, thirst, energy, activity, emotions, fertility, sleep, and stress. All of our hormones are connected, so when one becomes imbalanced, this can set off a cascade in our body. As this cascade occurs, our body signals this to us through many symptoms like pain, inflammation, constipation, stress, fatigue, infertility, extreme cravings, and changes in weight. We need to pay attention to these symptoms and figure out the root cause of them.
Ovulation is the main event of the menstrual cycle. It occurs during the halfway point in the menstrual cycle for one day. Ovulation is when the egg gets released from the ovary into the fallopian tube to prepare for fertilization and pregnancy. Progesterone is the hormone that promotes pregnancy and ovulation, and if progesterone is low, then you may not be ovulating (pro meaning to upgrade and gesterone meaning pregnancy).
