What to Know About Testosterone in Women

Transcript:

Britni: Hello and welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition, brought to you by Nutritional Weight & Wellness. Since you are listening to today's podcast episode, you might be interested in learning more about hormone health. It is a confusing topic to say the least.

Melanie: Very, very.

Testosterone: a critical hormone in the male & female body

Britni: And if you are a woman, do you ever think about your testosterone? Chances are maybe not. When you think of testosterone, it's typically associated with masculinity, muscle growth and male reproductive health. And while it's true that testosterone plays a central role in male biology, it's also a critical hormone in the female body.

Melanie: Yes. Just we are more than estrogen.

Britni: We are a lot more than just estrogen. And you know it, it's very important in the female body, we just produce it in smaller amounts than men do. And in both men and women, testosterone contributes to a variety of different functions and imbalances. So either too much or too little testosterone can have significant health consequences.

Melanie: And I'm kind of excited to dive into this.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: I think hormones are a hot topic right now. They're everywhere. And I love that because I feel like women have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to hormones. I mean I know in St. Louis, where I'm from, every corner's got a testosterone clinic for men. But I love that women are in the forefront. And their hormones matter. So this is exciting to me.

Britni: And now I, I mean, so many women don't have the understanding of how their hormones function in the body. Because historically it's just been something we don't talk about. You don't talk about your menstrual cycle and you don't realize if something is abnormal because people are just not talking about it. But that is changing. We are having conversations, there's awareness, and women are, are now, I think, feeling more empowered with that knowledge.

Melanie: And they're getting tested.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: Love that.

Britni: And, and being able to recognize is something imbalanced or, or not. Yeah. So I agree. Love this topic. I think women are going to learn a lot too. Well, let's introduce ourselves before we get any further. My name is Britni Vincent. I'm a Registered and Licensed Dietitian.

Melanie: I'm Melanie Beasley. I'm also a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and we both work at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. And we are excited to kind of dive into this topic. So Britni, many of our clients come to us and they're focused on hormones now. Don't you find that to be true?

Britni: I agree. Yep.

Melanie: Especially as they age. And for women, they really start noticing changes as they enter perimenopause and menopause face of life. And I have to say, I'm much older than you, and when I went through perimenopause, I didn't even know the term perimenopause.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: You know, didn't know it. So I love that women are empowered and they're aware of the different phases of their hormone journey, and they're also frustrated, and they want some help with this hormone journey. And naturally the focus tends to be on estrogen, progesterone, the hormones more prominent in women.

Key roles testosterone plays for women & where it’s made

But you know, we want to talk about testosterone and why it matters for women, and it may surprise you to learn that in women testosterone is made in the ovaries, so in our adrenal glands, it's also made in our outer tissues, such as skin and fat. So it's part of a complex hormonal network that includes estrogen and progesterone. That being said, the functions of testosterone in women are similar to that of estrogen.

Britni: Mm.

Melanie: Not what we would think.  

Britni: No, not at all. So in women, I want to talk about some of the key roles that testosterone does play. Sex drive, or libido, it's a major driver of your libido; muscle mass and strength, having adequate testosterone levels are, is going to support muscle growth and maintenance and helping to maintain that lean body mass, especially combined with exercise, which we're going to touch on later. Bone density, this is a big one. And again, I feel like this is not talked about at all.

Melanie: No.

Britni: So testosterone will help preserve bone strength and density, reducing the risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and it kind of works along with estrogen for our bone health.

Melanie: It's a whole kit and caboodle, and when we talk about bone density, muscle strength, it's not just one hormones. It's not just one nutrient.

Britni: Yes, that is so true.

Melanie: It’s very complex.

Britni: It is complex.

Melanie: The human body.

Britni: Testosterone plays a role in mood and mental health. I think a lot of people are surprised by this one, but testosterone can affect your mood stability, your motivation, your wellbeing. Low levels can even contribute to fatigue, depression, irritability, that brain fog, I hear that brain fog so often working with women in perimenopause.

Melanie: Yes.

Britni: And, and postmenopausal women. And along with that cognitive function, so testosterone plays a role in focus, memory, mental clarity. I mentioned energy earlier. So testosterone plays a huge role in just overall energy and giving you that sense of, of vitality.

Melanie: And libido. Because let's, let's be honest, if you don't have energy and you have brain fog, what the heck is happening to your libido?

Britni: It's not going to be good.

Melanie: It's not going to be good.

Britni: And lastly, ovarian function. So testosterone is going to support follicular development and play a role in ovulation, again, working alongside estrogen and progesterone in this delicate balance of hormones that we have. Women who are in perimenopause or postmenopausal have some of those symptoms of low testosterone, like mood dysregulation, low energy, low libido, that brain fog we were talking about. And this is from the hormonal changes in menopause.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

How testosterone imbalance can show up for women in different stages of life

Britni: Estrogen, progesterone declining, but the reduction of testosterone also plays a big role in these symptoms too. So low testosterone is a big factor during this stage of life. And just to kind of paint a picture here, postmenopausal women have 50% less testosterone production compared to pre-menopausal levels.

Melanie: So circling back, postmenopausal women are usually thinking about bone density. Hopefully, that's on their radar, and so that testosterone plays a key role.

Britni: Yeah.

High testosterone & the connection to PCOS

Melanie: So also younger women, testosterone also plays a role in menstrual health, you know, because it supports ovarian function and may affect the cycle regularity and ovulation. And we see younger women come in, I, I know Britni, we've talked about this, and they're suffering from hormone related issues like polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS where their testosterone is actually too high. And Britni, I know you help a lot of clients with PCOS. You're a little bit of our hormone guru.

Britni: That's very kind words. Well, yeah, so it is true that some women, not all, but many women with PCOS have elevated testosterone and so that's going to look a little bit differently than low testosterone. And I think some people are wondering, okay, how would I know I have PCOS?

Melanie: Yeah.

Britni: Common symptoms could be acne, excessively oily skin, excessive facial hair, body hair. So those symptoms are going to be from high androgens, including that high testosterone level. A major symptom of PCOS is going to be irregular menstrual cycles. So an anovulatory cycle or a cycle that you don't ovulate is going to be a cycle length of less than 21 days or more than 35 days. So if you have a cycle less than 21 days or more than 35 days, that means that you are likely not ovulating.

Melanie: Interesting.

Britni: And that can be a big sign of PCOS.

Melanie: which would also be a big sign of elevated testosterone if you have some of those other symptoms along with it, like you mentioned.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: Facial hair, oily skin, acne.

Britni: Yep. Balding.

Melanie: Balding.

Britni: Mm-hmm. And then infertility. You know, unfortunately so many women that I see that have PCOS do not even find out that they have it until they start trying to get pregnant.

Melanie: Oof.

Britni: I know. So even if you don't have some of those other symptoms that I mentioned, but you do have irregular cycles, I think that it's worth looking into PCOS to see if that could be what's going on. Waking can also be a major symptom of PCOS or just the difficulty losing weight. It tends to be much more difficult for women with PCOS to lose weight, and that is in part due to the elevated androgens, like high testosterone and insulin resistance plays a role in this.

Melanie: Would you say their periods are painful?

Britni: They can be painful, they can be heavy. Sometimes they're really short as well.

Melanie: Interesting.

Britni: Yeah. But if you're skipping periods or have a really long cycle, it can very commonly when you finally get your period, it can commonly be heavy and painful.

How might low testosterone show up?

Melanie: Wow that’s so interesting. So we talked about the high testosterone. What about a low testosterone? Do you see that in menstruating women?

Britni: Yes. That can happen as well, from completely different reasons. But if you are menstruating and you're experiencing the low libido, fatigue, muscle weakness, or really difficulty gaining muscle, mood swings, depression, difficulty concentrating, you know, that can be a lot of things.

What can cause low testosterone?

But it could be low testosterone. And the biggest reason for low testosterone in menstruating women is chronic stress. So what happens is when our body is producing excess cortisol because we're under stress. That is actually going to drive down our testosterone production. There's other, you know, over exercising, very low body fat, undereating can cause low testosterone, poor sleep can cause that. And, you know, that goes into stress.

Melanie: It's like this vicious cycle.

Britni: Yes. It very much can be. And medications. So hormonal birth control can actually contribute to low testosterone.

Melanie: Someone comes off of birth control because they're trying to get pregnant. But because of the birth control they can have low testosterone.

Britni: Yes. And low progesterone and yeah birth control pills can completely dysregulate your sex hormones.

Melanie: Wow.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: And they're just trying to wait for the right time to get pregnant.

Britni: I know. Yes.

Melanie: And now they come off of it and they don't have enough testosterone to ovulate. And they have difficulty getting pregnant. How crazy is this?

Britni: I know. Yeah. So for women who are menstruating, you know, I think it's a great idea. If you are wanting to conceive, really plan out and get your body to a place where that can happen more easily.

Melanie: Great hormonal health.

Britni: Yeah. So it's not, well, I'm going to go off birth control and I hope I get pregnant in a couple months, which happens for many women, but not always. So your body might need some time to balance itself out again.

Melanie: So ladies, if you're on the struggle bus hopefully this this podcast will be of use to you.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: So I know both of us really love being able to help our clients.

Britni: Absolutely. There is nothing more rewarding than having a client come back and say how much better they're feeling. It's amazing. Or I got pregnant.

Melanie: I love that.

Britni: That's the best email.

How does diet affect hormones?

Melanie: So you might be wondering why is a podcast on nutrition talking about testosterone in women. Well, did you know that our hormones can be deeply affected by our diet? So this is why we're here today talking about this. And a nutrient dense, balanced diet is one of the core foundations for hormonal health, and we help our clients manage hormones, including testosterone by treating the underlying cause through diet and lifestyle changes, which is our sweet spot.

Have you ever thought about how your food choices could be affecting your hormones? This could be really a new thought for so many, but it's good news because it means you can take some control back in regard to your hormonal health.

Insulin resistance: a core component oftentimes with PCOS

Britni: Yeah, absolutely. You know, for example, we'll go back to PCOS. So women that have PCOS, for the majority of them, a core piece of what's going on is insulin resistance. We know that a diet high in carbohydrates and sugar can lead to insulin resistance. And in those women, insulin resistance can lead to that high testosterone level. And high testosterone can also contribute to insulin resistance. So it's a difficult kind of cycle to break, but it can be done. We've seen it.

Melanie: Yeah.

Britni: Yep. And so keep in mind, insulin is a hormone. Once one hormone is imbalanced, that throws off the balance of other hormones in the body.

Melanie: Yeah, that’s a really good picture. Well, you know, I love this story about PCOS so much, just because I know Britni, you've struggled with PCOS.

Britni: Mm-hmm. Yes.

Melanie: But you've had three children, two of who are twins. So you've definitely managed.

Britni: Yeah, I got diagnosed and I did not have many of the typical symptoms, but I wasn't ovulating. And so through diet changes, through some supplements I completely balanced out my hormones and was able to conceive naturally. Which was amazing.

Melanie: You didn't do IVF.

Britni: I got ahead of it, so I focused on it years before I even knew I wanted to, to start to get pregnant. But I feel very lucky that I figured that out earlier.

Melanie: Yeah.

Britni: So I was able to get ahead of it, but it is a delicate balance. You know, focusing on your hormones and figuring out what works for you. But yeah, it can absolutely be done through working on diet is a core, core piece of that.

Melanie: So you didn't go to a fertility specialist?

Britni: I did not.

Eat healthy fats for hormone balance

Melanie: Yeah. You did it. So you're proof for us. And you know, like Britni mentioned, those healthy fats that help keep insulin in balance, what we recommend, one or two tablespoons of healthy fat with each meal and snack, you know, and this is easy, this is something like, what did you, what did you roast your vegetables with?

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: And then, you know, maybe you have an avocado mayo tartar sauce that you made and you put that on your fish. You know, it's pretty easy to get those healthy fats.

Britni: Yes it is.

Melanie: And maybe you put some pumpkin seeds in your salad. Did you know that those healthy fats, they provide the essential building blocks for hormone production hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, they are all synthesized from cholesterol and fatty acids. So we don't need to fear cholesterol.

Britni: We do not.

Melanie: So if you've been following a low fat diet, which is how we were told to eat for decades that could be impacting your hormonal health. I don't think it's low fat is trending. Although, I had a client who came in and she told me, plant-based, no fat was the latest trend that she had questions about, which I steered her clear of that because yeah, we've done that and it did not farewell for no the nation.

Britni: People don't feel good.

Melanie: People don't feel good. So if you think low fat equals low hormone function, no one's going to feel good with low hormone function.

Britni: That is a really great way to think about it is no fat, low hormone function. I think that's pretty motivating to start to get your healthy fats in.

Melanie: So let’s take a quick break and we will be right back to talk more about testosterone and hormones.

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Britni: Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. We are talking about testosterone in women today, and I just want to mention if explaining PCOS and those symptoms, if, if you're resonating with any of that, there is an article on our website that I wrote all about PCOS. And there can actually be different types of PCOS, so it really can manifest very differently in each woman. So I would check out that article.

Melanie: Fabulous article.

Britni: And that I'll give you some more information at weightandwellness.com. And before the break, we were talking about fat, the importance of fat in making hormones in the body.

Protein’s importance for hormone production

And on a similar note, dietary proteins are essential for hormone production because they provide the amino acids needed to build many of the body's hormones. So without adequate protein intake, the body may struggle to produce hormones effectively. So focusing on the high quality protein sources at every meal is so important for many different functions in the body, but also for hormones.

So that could be grass fed beef, pasture raised eggs and poultry, wild caught fish, organic dairy products if you tolerate them. Focusing on all of that ensures that the body has the raw materials it needs for optimal hormone production.

Melanie: I like that you said it needs to be quality. You know, is very important and eggs and grass fed because we don't want to be throwing something in that has its own hormones when we're trying to regulate our own.

Britni: Yeah, that's a good point. So, just like the low fat diet equals low hormone function, a low protein diet could mean the same thing.

Melanie: Yeah. So what I'm hearing is we need fat and protein.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Cruciferous vegetables detox excess estrogens & provide liver detoxification

Melanie: Yes. And I want to talk about one of my favorite food groups to preach about, which is cruciferous vegetables. I'm talking about broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, you know, the stinky ones, the ones that when you cook them, you can smell the sulfur coming off of them.

So these are powerhouse vegetables for our hormones because they contain compounds like DIM and Indole-3-Carbinol or I-3-C, which helps our body detox excess estrogens floating around. When our estrogen levels are too high, often referred to as estrogen dominance, it can suppress the beneficial effects of testosterone.

Britni: That's so interesting. So if you have estrogen dominance, that can actually reduce your production of testosterone. Of testosterone.

Melanie: Of testosterone. Yes, and that's one of the reasons why I prioritize eating cruciferous vegetables every single day to help support my liver detox pathways to rid of those excess estrogens that we can be exposed to just in our daily life.

Britni: Mm-hmm. And not only all of those cruciferous vegetables, those are just really good for our overall liver health. So not even for the estrogen dominance, just for overall detoxification. And I think in a perfect world, we would all be eating these wonderful cruciferous vegetables every day. But for a lot of people, it might not be realistic.

So I often recommend a supplement called Estro I-3-C. So this would be for somebody that has estrogen dominance and again, we have articles on our website that dive into this topic even more.

Touching on a few possible symptoms of estrogen dominance

Melanie: Just touch on four or five things that would indicate estrogen dominance.

Britni: So migraines or headaches that you get during ovulation or when you get your period. Hormonal acne, so that's going to be commonly on the jawline chin area. Those would be two main ones. PMS or PMDD.

Melanie: Pretty mean sister syndrome.

Britni: Yeah. Oh, love it.

Melanie: That's what I used to call it.

Britni: Oh gosh. That's funny. So if you are just feeling, I, I've had so many clients say that they just don't feel like themselves the week before they get their period.

Melanie: They're white knuckling through life to try to be a kind human.

Britni: Yeah, it’s hard.

Melanie: Yes. It's chemistry. It's not your character.

Britni: Yes, exactly. Exactly. So those could all be signs of estrogen dominance. And those are just some of them. But if that sounds like you, this Estro-I-C can be helpful because it's going to help to support your liver in detoxifying estrogen effectively.

It's also going to help to push estrogen metabolism down a more preferred pathway. And Estro I-3-C is not necessarily meant to be taken every day long term. You know, a lot of women take it for three to six months and then you can kind of cycle on and off of it. That's what I do if I notice those symptoms kind of creeping back up.

Melanie: And you can, sometimes it can change your urine color. So not everybody, but I have had some clients say…

Britni: Oh, that's a good point.

Melanie: Is this normal? And I'll say it is. It's just the metabolite. It's nothing to be concerned about.

Britni: People feel so much better when they take that supplement. And if you're just, don't know if you should take that or what would be helpful in, but you're recognizing you have some hormonal balance, you can always make an appointment.

Schedule Nutrition Counseling

We work with women to balance out their hormones really on a daily basis. So, we can help you to figure out what would be best for your individual body.

What kind of exposures can cause excess estrogen?

But you mentioned, you know, the excess estrogen can be from things we're exposed to every day.

Melanie: Yes.

Britni: So these are called xenoestrogens or, endocrine disruptors. So xenoestrogens are chemicals in our environment that mimic estrogen. They are found everywhere.

Melanie: Plastics.

Britni: Yeah. Shampoo, body lotion, makeup.

Melanie: Parabens.

Britni: Tampons. And so I, I refer people to the Skin Deep database.

Melanie: Love that.

Britni: By the environmental working group. They will rate products on toxicity and then also provide suggestions for cleaner products. But yeah, the plastics are a huge thing. So kind of switching things over gradually. If you run out of a product, look it up. See is it toxic? Should I be switching to a different product?

Melanie: That way you're not overwhelmed.

Britni: Exactly.

Melanie: You know, start, start in a manageable way. Chances are, if something comes to mind as we're talking, that's the first thing that you should address.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: But it can be perfumes, it can be burning scented candles. It can, all of this affects hormone balance. And remember with high estrogen, it begins to suppress testosterone. So you know, we circle back to that.

Alcohol disrupts hormone balance

Another thing I always have to discuss with my clients working on hormone balance is alcohol and how that affects, and this is a hard habit to change for many because we're social creatures.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: But the fact is that alcohol disrupts hormone production. You have to ask yourself, is it worth it to have my wine or my cocktail at night if it will make my menopause symptoms worse, or my PMS symptoms worse? And for men too. Chronic overconsumption of alcohol has been linked to lower testosterone and increased estrogen in men.

They also can have estrogen dominant symptoms. And the liver is our hormone balancing powerhouse. Big job of the liver is to clear out used or excess hormones. So think about this. Your liver's going to prioritize toxins over other functions.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: And alcohol, medications, chemicals are all perceived by the liver as toxins, so it's going to prioritize. First I get rid of the toxins, so it makes sense that with that big job of the liver is to clear out used or excess hormones, the liver function is now impaired because it's busy getting rid of the toxins.

Britni: That makes sense.

Melanie: Which is, you know, the excess alcohol and that can definitely affect that hormones. So if you're really struggling with hormone balance, I would urge you to limit alcohol consumption as much as possible. So, we'll, you know, we have clients, I'll say just put a Bubly water and some raspberries in your wine glass.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: Club soda with lime when you're out, you just have some club soda with lime. No one's walking around saying, hey, is there, is there vodka in there?

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: So, and if they are, they're a bit nosy.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: So, yeah, just start with the habit instead of it just white knuckling it through. Just replace this with that.

Vitamin & minerals that support healthy testosterone levels

Britni: Yeah. So it feels like you're still having something a little special and different. Well, let's talk a little bit about specific vitamins and minerals that support healthy testosterone levels. We often recommend supplementing with these for a variety of reasons, but the mineral, zinc, and magnesium are directly linked to testosterone production.

So you can find zinc in foods like pumpkin seeds, shellfish like oysters, red meat, especially high quality grass fed red meat is going to have higher zinc levels. And then magnesium, we find those in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds. Oftentimes people are deficient in magnesium. We talk a lot about magnesium on, on our shows because it is so important.

Melanie: It is the magic mineral.

Britni: It really is. It is magical. It's involved in hundreds of different processes, so a lot of people do supplement with it as well, just making sure you're getting a good quality supplement. Magnesium Glycinate is a great one to go to. If you're struggling with constipation as well, you could do Mixed Magnesium 'cause that helps to pull fluid to the stool and help to soften it.

Having regular bowel movements provide detoxification/hormone balance

Melanie: Which in turn helps us get rid of hormones.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: So we want a good stool every day.

Britni: Yep, because that is our last phase of detoxification. So we need to get rid of what our liver is packaging up for us.

Melanie: And you know, we talk about stool a lot here.

Britni: We sure do.

Melanie: But it is so important and it is something everyone's afraid to talk about. Not us, apparently.

Britni: No. We talk about it every day and I promise it doesn't bother us.

Melanie: Doesn't bother us. And so, if you're on the struggle bus, make an appointment with one of us and we will help you. Circling back to the magnesium, I have a lot of clients say, why do I need to supplement magnesium? Can't I get everything from my diet? I would say 20 years ago, yes you can. But now the way our soil is treated, it makes our produce lower in magnesium, potassium, and some other minerals.

So magnesium has taken a big hit in our food supply. We've gone from being able to get everything from food, which, you know, this company started as food first. But now we're seeing it's just not enough. It's the way the soil is treated, it's the way the crops are rotated, and so our animals eat the produce.

So this also affects how they're getting enough magnesium. So this is why we talk about supplementation. If we could all get it from food, that would be fabulous. And a heck of a lot less expensive.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: But we can't. And you just feel better when you optimize these key minerals. And magnesium is top dog.

Britni: Yeah. Anything muscle related is related back to magnesium.

Melanie: Anxiety, mood. Everything is circling back to the PMS. If you're having PMS and you optimize magnesium, I just read a study that they compared supplementing magnesium with anti-anxiety meds.

Britni: Interesting.

Melanie: And the effect of the magnesium was larger on anxiety when they supplemented magnesium than the anxiety medication. It still has its use for people. But you know, if we optimize the magnesium, it can help a lot.

Vitamin D for hormone support

And one of our most recommended supplements also across the board is vitamin D, which is important for so many functions of your body. So many functions.

Vitamin D is often considered more of a hormone than a vitamin, so it's been shown to positively influence other hormones like testosterone. So I know Britni, you and I both recommend supplementing vitamin D every day for overall health, including hormone health. And if you live in a northern climate like we do, even in the summer, unless you're sitting in your bikini at noon, without sunscreen for an hour, you still need vitamin D.

Britni: Most people.

Melanie: Yeah.

Physical activity, particularly strength training, boosts testosterone & detoxes

Britni: Yeah. Well, we talked about diet. We talked about some key supplements. I think we absolutely need to address physical activity.

Melanie: Yes.

Britni: Because it is one of the most effective ways to naturally boost testosterone.

Melanie: And detox.

Britni: Mm-hmm. Yes.

Melanie: So all the things that are important with hormonal health.

Britni: So, I like to encourage strength training two to four times a week because it's going to increase testosterone production, increase muscle mass. And so this could look like squats, pushups, bicep curls, any weight bearing exercises. You know, going for a run is not going to increase testosterone like this strength training does.

Melanie: And for women out there that are worried that they're going to bulk up, that's just not a thing.

Britni: It's true.

Melanie: We are just not built that way.

Britni: No we are not.

Melanie: And so, I mean, I strength train three times a week. I have for years and years and, you know, I'm a little missed snap in half. I just would love to be able to build more muscle. But what you need is to stress those larger muscle groups. So that's going to be your legs, your biceps, you know, overall for women, muscle is your longevity organ.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: And men too. And so in order to have good hormonal health, we need to have good muscle health.

The stress connection to low testosterone (& strategies to manage stress)

Britni: So I mentioned stress earlier as a cause of low testosterone in women, especially menstruating women. So let's touch on that a little bit.

Melanie: You know, Britni, I'm glad you brought that up because. If there's anybody who's listening out there who doesn't experience stress, raise your hand.

Britni: Zero hands raised.

Melanie: Yes. It's just not a thing. We all have levels of stress, so I always make sure to touch on managing stress and getting adequate sleep with my clients. I know you do the same.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: And these are essential for hormone balance. So if I'm working with a client and they're stressed out and not sleeping, and their hormones are all out of sync, we'll spend time working on improving these lifestyle factors, so you may not be able to, to change some things, you know, if you've, you're taking care of an ailing parent, obviously we can't change that.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: But there are tools that you can use that fool the body into believing that you have less stress. And that's the tools that we try to incorporate. So they all work in sync with each other. You know, an example would be chronic stress raises your cortisol, which can suppress your testosterone.

And poor sleep reduces testosterone and increases insulin resistance. So working on these lifestyle factors can make a big difference because the last thing that you need is you're dealing with an ailing parent. And now you have high cortisol, high insulin, and now you doctor says you have insulin resistance and you're starting to put on belly fat. So tell me that doesn't create more stress.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: So we want to get you off that crazy hamster wheel. And back in a loop that is advocating for your health. And sometimes you need a nutritional friend to help you navigate those waters because it can feel like a lot.

Britni: Yeah, it sure can. And so choosing to eat real food is a way to reduce stress on the body.

Melanie: Yes.

Britni: It's something, what we're putting in our mouth is within our control. So in those stressful times, focusing on what's in your control?

Melanie: Start with one thing at a time.

Summary

Britni: Yeah. Yeah. Don't overwhelm yourself more. Well, I want to summarize today's discussion. You know, we can support hormonal health naturally through whole foods, consistent movement, possibly some key supplements and healthy lifestyle habits.

So if you suspect you have a hormone imbalance, let us help you get back to feeling your best. We provide personalized guidance for each and every one of our clients and hormones are highly individual. It is not a one size fits all, and what works for one person may not work for the next. So feel free, give us a call, 651-699-3438.

Schedule Nutrition Counseling

Visit our website, weightandwellness.com. You can learn more about our counseling. Check out if we accept your insurance. And then I also mentioned earlier we have a lot of great articles on our website for extra information about hormones.

Melanie: And we've got a lot of balanced recipes.

Britni: Yes. Yeah. Tons of recipes.

Melanie: Our goal at Nutritional Weight & Wellness is to help each and every person experience better health through eating real food. It's a simple yet powerful message. Eating real food is life changing.

Britni: Thank you so much for listening today and have a wonderful day.