Perimenopausal weight gain is a real thing.

This is a fact.

It's common for weight gain to start a few years before menopause, during the time known as perimenopause. Weight gain often continues at about the rate of 1.5 pounds each year as a woman goes through her 50s.

When I meet with women to discuss the potential risks and benefits of menopausal hormone therapy - fear of weight gain with estrogen therapy is common.

But is this fear valid?

As discussed in my previous blog, chronic elevation of the stress hormone cortisol is one of the most significant root causes of health issues in many of my clients. It can have long-term effects on many aspects of health and well-being, including metabolism, sleep, brain, and mood.

Have you ever thought about what’s actually creating stress in your body? It might not be what you think.

If you want to train your body to be more resilient to stress (so it doesn’t have so much control over your life), it helps to understand stress hormones. There are 2 stress hormones I want you to know about: Cortisol & Adrenaline (also called Epinephrine).

In May 2022, I was diagnosed with an early-stage breast cancer, detected by a routine screening mammogram. I chose to undergo a skin-sparing double mastectomy with reconstruction in late June 2022 and spent the summer recovering. Fortunately, the cancer was caught very early, and I was given an excellent prognosis without chemotherapy.

Bringing hormones into balance requires a commitment to healthy habits, but we can support the process with targeted nutritional supplements. When considering nutritional supplements for estrogen dominance, there are 3 categories to consider: Gut Support - for proper estrogen elimination, Liver Support - for healthy estrogen metabolism, and Hormone Support - for estrogen-progesterone balance.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re focusing on one of the most common hormone imbalances I see in practice - ESTROGEN DOMINANCE.

There is no pill anybody can take to magically correct estrogen dominance.

Hormone Balance is one of the most common reasons patients seek my care, and for good reason! Hormones have profound effects on your mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being.

As I have mentioned in prior blogs, your hormones dance with one another. This is why, when evaluating hormone balance, you have to take into account the various hormones interacting in your body. When one hormone becomes imbalanced this can lead to other hormonal imbalances. Stress hormones and thyroid hormones are good examples of this.

Hormone Balance is one of the most common reasons patients seek my care, and for good reason! Hormones have profound effects on your mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being. Hormones are chemical messengers made in cells throughout the body. These messengers are carried in your blood to the organs and tissues they affect. There are many types of hormones that influence nearly every bodily function.