Balancing Your Patients’ Hormone Levels Naturally
FEATURE
By Todd Singleton, DC
Hormonal imbalances affect millions of women in the United States each year, and the situation only seems to be getting worse. Compared with men, women are disproportionally affected by estrogen-mimicking chemicals in the environment (from plastics, household cleaners, and other environmental toxins) and are more likely to experience hormonal imbalances as a result. Though every woman experiences hormonal changes during menopause, many women are beginning to experience hormonal imbalances at earlier stages in life. These physical changes can be enormously stressful for the body, causing symptoms that range from night sweats to fatigue.
For this reason, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is popular among many women and their physicians. Proponents of HRT argue that the benefits outweigh the long-term risks. However, research is beginning to reveal that HRT is much more hazardous than most physicians believe it to be. One study recruited over a million women to participate, and it revealed that HRT can dramatically increase one’s risk for fatal breast cancer.1 With these results in mind, it’s time to consider alternative ways that you can help your patients balance their hormone levels naturally. I recommend a four-step approach that involves reducing toxicity, managing stress
levels, maximizing nutritional intake, and utilizing effective supplementation.
Reducing Toxicity
If patients are suffering from hormonal imbalances (because of menopause or otherwise), I first recommend that they eliminate toxic foods from their diet and complete a detoxification program. This means cutting out obviously toxic offenders, such as junk food and fast food. Less obviously, I recommend that my patients cut out refined vegetable oils, hidden sources of sugar, and other harmful additives. To reduce toxic exposure to estrogen-mimicking substances, I further recommend that my patients cut down on the use of toxic household cleaners2 and plastic food storage containers.3 These changes may seem small, but they can make a world of difference.
After cutting out toxic foods and household products, I ask my patients to complete a detoxification program over the course of three to five days. This involves drinking a lemonade mixture while taking herbal supplements that facilitate the cleansing process. The detoxification program gives the body a chance to cleanse itself of any toxic buildup and begin to heal itself naturally. After a detox, most patients find that they’re already beginning to see their symptoms improve.
■ "The results are extraordinary when patients follow these four steps—reducing toxicity, managing stress, maximizing nutritional intake, and supplementation. J Ï
Stress Management
For women seeking to con ect hormonal imbalances, stress management is key. Chronic stress causes the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol, which in turn suppresses the body’s production of estrogen. To return the body to a state of balance, patients must find a way to relax. As a chiropractor, you can teach your patients techniques for lowering their stress levels, whether that involves meditation, breathing exercises, or other calming activities. Brainwave entrainment technology has been shown to be especially helpful in this regard.4
Maximizing Nutritional Intake
To balance hormone levels in the body, nutrition is key. I recommend a diet with vegetables at the core, focusing on the adequate intake of brightly colored vegetables and dark leafy greens. I also advise my patients to eat fish, chicken, fruit, nuts, seeds, and certain whole grains (rice and quinoa) in moderation. One advantage of this type of diet is that it provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture hormones on its own. Foods such as yams, peas, cucumbers, and papaya, as well as other fruits and vegetables provide the body with essential micronutrients that form the building blocks for hormone synthesis. When the body receives everything it needs, the body is usually able to correct hormonal imbalances on its own and without the use of harmful synthetic drugs.
Supplementation
When I’m working with a patient whose hormones are off-kilter, I always recommend a high-quality herbal supplement designed to stabilize hormones and return the body to a state of balance. Herbs such as blessed thistle, dong quai, serona serrulata, wild yam extract, motherwort, cramp bark, and black cohosh are especially useful for this purpose. In addition to an herbal hormonebalancing supplement, I recommend DHEA and a transdermal wild yam cream. These supplements work together to provide the body with the precursors it needs to produce and regulate hormones on its own. If patients are suffering from nutritional deficiencies, I’ll also prescribe supplements to fill these gaps as well.
The results are extraordinary when patients follow these four steps—reducing toxicity, managing stress, maximizing nutritional intake, and supplementation. Many patients don’t realize that the symptoms they’ve been experiencing aren’t normal, and they are pleasantly surprised when they begin to feel much better than they ever expected. As a chiropractic physician, you can make a world of difference in your patients’ lives by prescribing effective treatments for hormonal imbalances. It’s up to you to ensure that your patients receive the quality of care that they deserve!
References:
1. Beral V, Million Women Study Collaborators. Breast cancer and hormone-replacement therapy in the Million Women Study. The Lancet. 2003; 362(9382): 419-427.
2. Dodson, RE, Mishioka, M, Standley, LJ, Perovich, LJ, Brody, JG, Rudel RA. Endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2012; 120(7): 935-943.
3. Harris, CA, Henttu P, Parker, MG, Sumpter, JP. The estrogenic activity of phthalate esters in vitro. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1997; 105(8): 802-811.
4. Oster, G. Auditory beats in the brain. Scientific American. 1973; 4(229): 94-102.
Todd Singleton, DC, is an author, speaker, consultant, and practicing doctor. He graduated from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1990. For many years, he ran the largest MD/DC/PT clinics in the state of Utah, until he switched to an all-cash, nutrition model in 2006. Dr Singleton has a busy practice in Salt Lake City where he specializes innutrition, neuropathy, weight loss, and other diet-related conditions. He also speaks around the country and holds a monthly seminar in his office to teach other chiropractors how to add neuropathy and weight loss to their offices. He can be reached at 801-903-7141 to answer any additional questions regarding this article or related topics, or you can get additional information byvisitingwww.SupportNeuro.com or www. CashlnWeightLoss. com.
