by Sherrill Sellman
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Our modern lifestyle, with its stressful demands, irregular eating habits, junk food cuisine, frequent use of pharmaceutical drugs and environmental toxic exposure, has shifted the hormonal balance way over to the estrogen excess side.
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On my journey through the
uncharted seas of perimenopause at the age of 44, I
encountered some rather rough sailing. My days were
filled with the swells and troughs of depression, tears,
mood swings, irrational angry outbursts, lethargy and
fatigue. My nights found me in turmoil with gripping
anxiety and panic attacks along with soaking night
sweats. Add to this the unexplained weight gain and
low libido and I knew something was seriously awry.
My moods and my body seemed totally out of control.
What was happening to me?
The emotional roller coaster that accompanies premenstrual
syndrome, perimenopause and menopause is
most profoundly connected to the flow of two powerful
hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Nature has
designed estrogen and progesterone to be partners in a
delicate balancing act. When that balance teeters in
either one direction or another, a whole host of health
problems ensue.
Our modern lifestyle, with its stressful demands,
irregular eating habits, junk food cuisine, frequent use
of pharmaceutical drugs and environmental toxic
exposure, has shifted the hormonal balance way over to
the estrogen excess side. When estrogen is out of
balance with progesterone, a condition called estrogen
dominance occurs. The imbalance that results causes
depression, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, anger,
insomnia, fatigue, weight gain, bloating, mental
fogginess, low libido and sore breasts.
Estrogen excess plays a huge role in causing PMS
symptoms. Progesterone is the dominant hormone
during the luteal phase, the two weeks before menstruation.
It is produced in amounts 200 times greater than
estrogen at that time. However, due to the many
stresses, nutritional deficiencies and eating indiscretions,
estrogen levels can far exceed progesterone during
the luteal phase. Many of the woes of PMS, including the
wild, emotional ride, are the result of this topsy-turvy hormone production.
Far from deficiency in estrogen, the modern
menopausal woman is also more likely to
experience high levels of estrogen and low levels
of progesterone, creating that all too familiar
estrogen dominant profile. In fact, The World
Health Organization (WHO) has reported that an
overweight postmenopausal woman has more
estrogen circulating through her body than a
skinny premenopausal woman. Through the use
of saliva testing, the most valid way to test
hormone levels, according to WHO, the prevalence
of estrogen dominance has been confirmed.
Instead of estrogen deficiency, modern
women are really suffering from a progesterone
deficiency.
Even perimenopause, a five- to ten-year
journey of hormonal adjustments preceding
menopause, is now recognized as a time when
the body is making really high levels of estrogen
along with low progesterone output due to
irregular ovulations.
 When the steroid hormones drugs are used,
either in the form of the Pill or hormone
replacement therapy for PMS, perimenopause or
menopause, estrogen levels may be raised by as
much as 100 times more than what the body
would normally be making. For many women,
these treatments will not only create but
worsen depression, anger flare-ups, anxiety,
panic attacks, insomnia, lethargy and unpredictable
mood swings. The Pill and HRT also rob the body of vital nutrients such as vitamin BS, E,
C, folic acid, magnesium, selenium and zinc,
which further compromises physical and emotional
health.
In addition, estrogen can interfere with
the uptake of the thyroid hormones,
contributing to a sluggish thyroid condition
known as hypothyroidism.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include
depression, postpartum depression, mood
swings, lethargy, mental fogginess, weight gain
and menstrual irregularities. In addition, under
stress, the adrenals produce an excess of the
stress hormone, cortisol, leading to various
harmful effects including brain aging and bone
loss. Excessive demand placed on the adrenals
will lead to adrenal exhaustion, causing anxiety,
panic attacks, depression or rapid mood swings,
mental sluggishness, feeling mentally and physically
over-stressed, crying bouts, insomnia,
night sweats and generalized fatigue.
A woman’s ability to feel and express her
deep emotional life is one of the greatest gifts of
being a woman. However, hormone balance is a
delicate matter. Working long hours, getting too
little sleep, daily stresses, a diet of too much
sugar, caffeine, refined carbohydrates, alcohol
and hydrogenated oils, being dehydrated and
skipping meals will not only create hormonal
imbalance but seriously alter many other key
functions of a woman’s body including the liver,
the pancreas, the adrenals, the digestive system
and the immune system. Whenever these
systems are thrown out of kilter, emotional
imbalances are expressions of disharmony. Even
candida, hypoglycemia and blood sugar surges,
parasites, food allergies and heavy metal toxicity
can have an emotional counterpart.
Whatever emotional imbalance a woman
may be experiencing, it is a powerful signal to
address and resolve the underlying imbalance.
Mood swings of whatever variety have many
causes, which is why it is important to work
with a competent holistic practitioner to discover
and correct the underlying health problem.
The popularly prescribed drug therapies
such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and minor tranquilizers
may only alleviate the symptoms,
never the cause, and are often accompanied by
serious side effects which include mood swings,
depression, anxiety, insomnia, hypertension
and sexual dysfunction.
My perilous perimenopausal journey was a
time of profound learning about my body and
its hormonal transitions. With the assistance of
my natural healing team of a traditional
Chinese herbalist, chiropractor and holistic
physician, I was able to navigate myself back to
balance. I increased my deficient progesterone
levels by using a transdermal natural progesterone
cream as well as the Peruvian herb,
Maca, an excellent adaptogen herb for the
endocrine system. Since a sluggish liver can
contribute to depression, anger, irritability and
frustration, I gave my liver extra support by
adding the herb milk thistle, the antioxidants
vitamins A, C and E, Coenzyme Q-10 and alpha
lipoic acid. I added healthy portions of liver
friendly foods such as broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes,
tomatoes, spinach, pumpkin and kale while
reducing liver toxic foods such as sugar, refined
carbohydrates, caffeine, alcohol, preservatives
and trans-fatty acids such as margarine and
fried foods.
In addition to being committed to a nutritional
and herbal program, I also included
more hormone balancing foods such
as plenty of fresh organic vegetables and
fruits, quality proteins, essential fatty
acids and pure water. Regular exercise, meditation
and personal quality time were given
prominence in my stress-reduction program.
Within just a couple of months, my panic
attacks permanently ceased, my mood swings
disappeared, the night sweats ended, my energy
increased, my sleeping was sound, my weight
went down and libido went up. I realized for the
first time, that a woman’s life doesn’t need to be
a journey of perpetual emotional storms.
Each woman’s journey to hormonal health
and emotional well-being is unique. As women
plot their own course with dedication, awareness
and guidance from trained holistic health
practitioners, mood swings, depression, anxiety
and panic attacks and irritability can be replaced
with emotional harmony. Empowered with an
understanding of the hormonal cycles at all
stages of one’s life, coupled with a desire and a
commitment to regain inner balance naturally,
women of all ages can explore the seven seas of
their hormonal life with a true sense of wonder
and joy . . . and smooth sailing.
Sherrill Sellman, is the author of the bestselling
revised and updated book: “Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones.” Her Web site is www.ssellman.com
and to subscribe to her free monthly
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