How Hormone Disruptors F*CK with your Cycle

We often hear about ‘hormones’ when talking about women’s health, or anything relating to fertility or the menstrual cycle. If you experience PMS – It’s just your hormones. If you suffer from acne breakouts, that’s hormonal as well. Fertility issues? Most likely a hormone deficiency.  Heavy, painful periods? – definitely hormonal. But what does all of this even mean? Are hormones good or bad for our reproductive health? How is it that can they can have such a heavy influence on so many areas? Should you be concerned about your hormones?

First of all, I want you to know that even though hormones are often portrayed in a very negative light, they are completely natural & absolutely critical for your body to function properly. When we experience ‘hormonal’ issues, what we are really facing are hormone imbalances. Our hormones are designed to delicately dance around each other and create a beautiful, choreographed performance that influences each and every single process within our bodies. Hormones come in many shapes & sizes and are not restricted to women’s reproductive health alone.

There are hormones that influence the health of your digestive system & appetite, some that regulate your blood sugar & stress response, others that define the workings of your reproductive system, and plenty more beyond that.

To break it down for you, hormones are chemical messengers that facilitate communication between your brain and other parts of your body. When the brain experiences some sort of internal or external stimulus, the endocrine glands in the brain (Hypothalamus, Pituitary & Pineal glands) produce hormones that then travel through the blood stream to reach other endocrine glands in the body (Adrenals, Pancreas, Thyroid, Parathyroid, Ovaries & Testes). These endocrine glands then produce additional hormones that go on through the blood stream eventually arriving at the intended organs to deliver a message on how to perform in a specific manor. The result then travels back to the brain to inform it of the completed or uncompleted task via a feedback loop response. This is how our body keeps homeostasis within the system.

{Brain – Endocrine Gland – Internal Organ – Brain}

To put it into perspective, it’s sort of like the post office system. First we have the post office (the brain) that receives messages (stimulus/cues) from external or internal sources (the environment & body). The post office then delivers letters (hormones) to the mailmen (endocrine glands) whom then deliver the letters to the houses/establishments (internal organs).

The entire hormonal system is quite intricate and very specific. It works hard to maintain homeostasis, but when there are disruptions in the communication pathways, it can lead to hormone imbalance which can truly F*CK with your cycle & result in various ‘hormonal’ symptoms like PMS, heavy/painful bleeds, anovulation, etc. Beyond that, disruptions in the hormonal system can also negatively influence digestive health, blood sugar regulation, mental stability & stress perception.

So, to answer the questions from before… Hormones are definitely GOOD for our health, in fact, they are absolutely NECESSARY for our body to communicate properly! They have an influence on so many areas because the brain must communicate with every part of the body, thus, hormones are not restricted to our reproductive health alone. There’s truly nothing to fear or worry about when it comes to your hormones. However, if there are disruptions in the communication pathways leading to you experiencing hormonal symptoms, specifically the ones associated with your cycle, you may consider finding ways to support your hormonal health so that it can get back to a state of balance and you can experience the symptom-free cycle that you so very much deserve. Because… F*CK feeling uncomfortable every month, AMIRIGHT!?

I know you’re wondering… what can cause hormonal disruption? How do you know if your hormones are imbalanced, and if so, what can you do about it? As we’ve already touched on, hormones influence many areas of our health, but for the purpose of this article, I’m going to focus on the sex hormones that influence our reproductive health specifically.

Our sex hormones consist of Estrogen, Progesterone & Testosterone. Estrogen & progesterone are usually recognized as the ‘female hormones’ whereas testosterone is considered the ‘male hormone’. However, all three of these hormones have an influence on all sex’s reproductive health. It’s true that estrogen & progesterone are noticed in higher quantities in females than in males, and more testosterone is found in males than in females, but each hormone has their own unique role to play in both of the sex’s reproductive health. Anything that disrupts the delicate balance of your sex hormones can result in various symptoms. 

For example, regarding females, elevated testosterone levels can result in symptoms of facial hair, cystic acne, male-pattern balding & in more serious cases, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Elevated estrogen can result in symptoms of PMS, mood swings, digestive issues & heavy, painful periods. Low progesterone can result in symptoms of pre-menstrual spotting, depression and in some cases, pregnancy loss. Hormonal imbalances can look different for each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all symptom associated, nor is there one simple approach to achieving hormone balance. If you do suspect that you’re dealing with a more serious hormone imbalance, working with a qualified practitioner can help you to find clarity, guidance and an easier journey to your hormone balance success. Please reach out to me directly if you’d like to discuss options for achieving hormone balance through nutrition & lifestyle.  

So now that we are familiar with our sex hormones, let’s discuss some of the things that can disrupt the hormone balance within us. Hormone disruptors (aka endocrine disruptors or xenoestrogens), consist of various chemicals that have the ability to mimic or block natural hormones – specifically the sex hormone Estrogen. They can wreak havoc on the entire endocrine & reproductive systems because the body winds up receiving certain messages that were not sent directly from the brain. It’s like if you were on the phone with someone sharing very important instructions on how to complete a job, when suddenly someone else cuts in, disrupting your connection only to provide their own instructions instead. These endocrine disruptors interfere with the communication between your brain and your reproductive organs which can lead to heightened PMS symptoms, more painful & heavy periods, digestive disturbances and in more serious cases, endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, and/or cancer. 

Unfortunately, endocrine disruptors are all around us, all of the time. They can most likely be found right in your own home and it’s highly possible that you’ve been in contact with them today already. They can be found in products such as your shampoo/conditioner, lotion, makeup, perfume, dish soap, and other household cleaning products, as well as in the food you eat, the water you drink and even in the air that you breathe. There are some that are unavoidable, but fortunately, with the right awareness and knowledge, there are many that you CAN avoid by simply switching out for healthier alternatives.  

When it comes to the chemicals that can be found in your household & beauty products, switching to natural alternatives is an easy & affordable way to minimize your endocrine disruptor exposure. They can also be found in a variety of plastic including plastic water bottles, Tupperware & plastic silverware. Switching to glass & stainless steel may be a very easy (and long-lasting) switch for the better. Choosing to purchase organic and naturally-raised food products can also help to minimize exposure because a lot of the pesticides sprayed on conventional foods, and the medications that are given to conventionally-raised animals contain many of the most disrupting chemicals.  Opting for filtered water or spring water instead of city municipal (tap) water, can be a great way to minimize exposure through that which you drink. We have only begun to take notice of how dangerous these chemicals truly are within the past 60 years or so. Scientists and researches learn more about them & their impact each and every day, and unfortunately, their conclusions aren’t getting any better.

Finally, bear with me here, but the worst endocrine disruptor of them all is hormonal birth control. Hormonal birth control is designed specifically to disrupt the endocrine sex hormones in order to inhibit ovulation so that one can easily avoid an unintended pregnancy. It’s true that birth control can provide a sense of security & control over your sexual and reproductive rights, but it only can do so at a great cost to your hormonal & reproductive health. The synthetic hormones that are in birth control greatly interfere with the female menstrual cycle and reproductive function in the long run. For many, it may take years after coming off birth control to get their hormones and cycles back to a state of balance. Ultimately, it is your right to decide whether or not you want to take the risks involved with hormonal birth control and I’m not here to say that it’s the worst thing in the world, but I am here to shed some light on the truth behind it all so that you can make the best informed decision for yourself and for your reproductive and hormonal health, especially if you intend to grow a family at some point in your future.

In conclusion, our hormones are very delicate & specific tools that the body uses to communicate with itself. They play a huge role in our reproductive system as well as many other areas of our health & wellbeing. Endocrine disrupting chemicals can interfere with the hormone communication pathways, which can completely F*CK with our cycles & lead to a host of undesired symptoms. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to avoid some of the most common endocrine disruptors by switching to natural product alternatives and by being informed of the risks associated with hormonal birth control. In the end, limiting your overall exposure to these disruptive chemicals to the best of your ability can help to support hormone balance and a healthy menstrual cycle experience.