Have you ever thought ‘my hormones don’t feel right’or “I just feel off”?

I often hear this comment in the clinic, and for women, this is usually in reference to our female hormones, but what is actually happening for you? There are a number of scenarios that can be happening and why I sometimes find it very useful to refer clients for a female hormone profile, a blood test. 

Before I explain possible scenarios I would like to introduce hormones to you!

Hormones are little chemical messengers released from the glands of our endocrine system and which then travel around in a circulatory system such as blood and lock into receptors of their target cells across all systems regulating body function. Our master glands, hypothalamus and pituitary, are in the brain and these glands are influenced by diurnal rhythms, (the amount of light that enters through the eyes, food and stress both physical and emotional) and feedback mechanisms ie, if there is enough hormone already in the blood stream then release of more hormone is inhibited.  Some hormones work very locally i.e. target cells in immediate surroundings, others travel far, and usually all set off a cascade of reactions within the target cell.

This is a basic simplified description of a very complex system that is constantly being updated within your body, changing and reacting every second of your life, even whilst sleeping.

• Oestrogen

• Progesterone

• FSH

• LH

• Prolactin

• Androgens

• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

So there are a number of factors that can affect the interplay of those hormones and their secreting organs and target cells and how you feel.

It may also happen though in the clinic that I feel with a few tweaks with diet and nutrition, better sleep habits, stress management and some movement and exercise that your ‘hormones’ will self-correct and no more active intervention is necessary. Our body and it’s systems are always working to reach homeostasis themselves….a fancy way of saying balance.

There are a range of clinical testing options available when deemed appropriate for integrative health care. Testing to help guide and paint your full health picture may be recommended in your consult, of which results are able to guide your treatment plan. Testing is recommended only when Renae feels that the results will assist in guiding treatment. There is no one fits all approach with individualised naturopathic treatment and consults.

Testing options available:

Blood Testing

Nourish and Breathe Clinic uses Laverty Pathology Services in the ACT (and surrounds) for general health. For example to test -

• Metabolic markers - liver health, blood glucose and insulin resistance, homocysteine

• Thyroid profile - including autoantibodies

• Nutrient markers - vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron studies, zinc serum

• Inflammation

• Female hormone profile - Oestrogen, Progesterone, FSH, LH, androgen profile, SHBG, prolactin, generally undertaken Day 2 and Day 21 of your cycle see journal article to understand why.

Functional Medicine - Integrative Pathology Testing

Nourish and Breathe Clinic uses Nutripath Integrative Pathology Services.

• Gut Microbiome

  • With persistent and chronic digestive issues and symptoms a gut microbiome profile is able to highlight imbalances in the gut microbiome, parasites and report on inflammatory markers to guide treatment.

• Vaginal Microbiome

  • An emerging field in Women’s Health, vaginal microbiome test is undertaken at home and returned to Nutripath. The report assists to provide answers to symptoms experienced in intimate health - recurrent thrush, bacterial vaginosis, out of the ordinary discharges. This test provides greater detail and insight into vaginal health beyond the microbiology swab undertaken in a GP clinic. Please read further information on Intimate Health in Renae’s Journal Articles .

• Genetic Testing for SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism’s)

  • Our DNA contains genes that switch on and off to produce our proteins - enzymes, hormones, and so much more. Slight variations in these genes can change the production of these proteins which can have far reaching affects on energy and mental health.