The Power Of Hormones: Your Key To Physical & Mental Health
HORMONES: THEY’RE KIND OF A BIG DEAL.
You know the word: hormone. You’ve heard the associated terms - hormonal health, hormonal balance, hormonal imbalance - and you understand, whether from a fuzzily-remembered biology class, your doctor’s office, or a number on your test results, that your hormones are important.
You’ve experienced the effects of hormones in your own life, most significantly during phases of puberty, pregnancy, menopause, andropause, etc. You probably only think about them on a day-to-day basis when you feel off - “Why am I tired, why am I crying, and where is the chocolate?!” - but you get the gist that they work best when they are balanced.
Here’s the important thing to know: your hormones are a big deal. And by big deal, we do not mean your hormones simply affect or impact your health and wellbeing, although they do. We mean your hormones have POWER - and that power is their ability to respond and adapt to your needs and to work intricately together to shape the landscape of your physical and mental health through and at every stage of your life.
AND . . . because your hormones play such a critical role in shaping the state of your physical and mental health at every stage of life, they can also help you reshape the state of your physical and mental health at ANY stage of life. So, yes: your hormones are kind of a big deal.
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A “HORMONE”?
[Warning: SCIENCE ahead. We’ll make it quick!]
A hormone is a regulatory substance synthesized (made) by the body from the building blocks of amino acids from protein - for peptide hormones like Insulin - and cholesterol from fat - for steroid hormones like your sex or stress hormones. Fatty acids like Omega-3s and Omega-6s also play a crucial role in ensuring the effective synthesis and release of hormones. So eat your proteins and (healthy) fats!
Hormones are produced by and released into your bloodstream via your endocrine system (think your adrenal, thyroid, pancreas, reproductive glands, etc.) in response to a specific trigger(s). The hormones are then transported from one cell or tissue to another where they act as chemical “messengers,” facilitating communication between different organs and systems in your body. This process allows for the intersystemic coordination and integration needed for your body to maintain homeostasis (your body's internal balance).
AND THAT MEANS WHAT . . .
A simple example involves Melatonin, one of the hormones that aids in good sleep. In the morning, when the sun rises (the trigger = light exposure), your pineal gland is signaled to suppress Melatonin so you can spend your day awake and alert. But when it starts to get dark, your pineal gland is signaled to release Melatonin into your bloodstream, letting your body know it’s almost time to start snoozing. Melatonin then helps you drift off faster and sleep more soundly through the night.
But that is only one, simple example - there are many, many layers of detail, nuance, and complexity related to your hormones’ actions, interactions, and the extent to which they affect your body, mind, and life.
What you need to get is this: your hormones have impacted ALL of your biological processes, from conception on. This includes the growth and development of your brain and other organs; your bones; your muscles; and your nervous and reproductive systems. This also includes the aforementioned significant phases of puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and andropause, as well as the day-to-day functioning of your metabolism, immune response, stress response, and (so much) more. Did we mention they’re kind of a big deal?!
FUN FACT!
Fifty+ hormones have been identified in the human body! And they all play a vital role in how you grow, develop, function, and feel. A few key hormone groupings to get-to-know are:
Your Metabolic Hormones: Your metabolic hormones, which include Insulin, Glucagon, thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), Cortisol, and more, work together to regulate exactly that - your metabolism! Their jobs include managing your blood sugar levels and ensuring that your body’s energy (or fuel: think glucose or fat) is appropriately distributed, stored, and used as needed to power your metabolic activities.
Your Hunger Hormones: Your hunger hormones, which include Ghrelin, Leptin, Peptide YY, Cholecystokinin, and more, help control your appetite and the sensation of feeling hungry (or hangry, depending on your mood). For example, Ghrelin stimulates your appetite and encourages you to eat when your body needs energy, while Leptin lets your brain know when you’ve had enough.
Your Happiness Hormones: Your happiness hormones, which primarily include Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins, help set the mood . . . specifically, your mood. They each have their own niche - Dopamine is associated with motivation and reward; Serotonin with feelings of wellbeing and happiness; Oxytocin with bonding, connection, and love; and Endorphins with feelings of euphoria and reduced pain perception - but they overall contribute to you feeling good or great.
Your Sex Hormones: Your sex hormones include Estrogens, Progesterone, Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and Dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). They are crucial to the development and functioning of your reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics, from the regulation of your menstrual cycle; to fertility and pregnancy; to the ability to grow a fine-a** beard; to your desire and ability to effectively and enjoyably get it on. And while they show up differently for different genders, your sex hormones are crucial for sexual development, reproduction, and overall health.
Your Stress Hormones: While Cortisol is commonly called the “stress hormone,” other hormones like Adrenaline (Epinephrine), Norepinephrine, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH), and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) also play a role in your body’s stress response. Together, these hormones are released in response to a stressor(s), kicking off the primal “fight-or-flight” response in order to help you respond quickly and effectively to a threat (whether that threat is a saber-toothed tiger or your mean, mean boss and his upcoming deadline).
Your Sleep Hormones: We’ve already discussed Melatonin’s role in a good night’s sleep, but Serotonin - in addition to its mood-lifting properties - participates as well. While Melatonin is suppressed during the day, your Serotonin levels tend to be higher, and at night, the conversion of Serotonin to Melatonin helps you transition from raring-to-go to ready-for-bed.
These hormones/ hormone groupings are just a few highlights of the behind-the-scenes work happening in your body every moment of every day. And it’s easy to see how when these hormones are circulating in your body at the appropriate times, at the appropriate levels, and in sync with each other, you function and feel well. You are healthy, you are good, you feel and look AMAZING.
A LESS FUN FACT.
It is equally easy, although less comfortable, to imagine how you might start to feel and look when one or more of the instruments in your hormonal symphony start playing out of tune.
When you have a hormonal imbalance(s) - when your levels of one or more hormones are too low, too high, or circulate for an extended period of time - your health suffers, your mood suffers, your energy suffers, and your sleep suffers. You are more prone to metabolic dysfunction (weight gain, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, etc.), and you may carry around an unnerving sense of not being or feeling like “yourself.”
Now some hormonal imbalances or shifts are natural - puberty, pregnancy, menopause, andropause, etc. - and some are caused by internal or external environmental factors or stressors. But regardless, if your hormones are “out of whack” for any reason or any length of time, you’ll likely feel out of whack too.
We do not say this to discourage you, because 1st) a hormonal imbalance is a SOLVEABLE problem and 2nd) we’d rather empower you. Once you truly get how powerful your hormones are and how they impact your body, mind, and life, you’ll finally have the key you need to get from where you are right now to where you want to be.
YOUR KEY.
You’ve read this far (congrats!), so now you understand:
Your hormones are a big deal. They impact you both physically and mentally in all aspects of your health. They are foundational to how you function and feel and think and look, and the state of your hormonal health is reflected in your everyday quality of life.
Your hormones are constantly working to help you by supporting your ability to heal, transform, connect, and experience vibrancy and joy throughout your life. While hormonal imbalances do exist, when your hormones are in balance and in sync, they serve as catalysts . . . not only to help you survive, but to thrive.
And so what’s your key? Your key to addressing your frustrations, your symptoms, and your pain, your key to improved and transformed physical and mental health: your key is prioritizing your hormonal health.
By prioritizing your hormonal health - and we’ll talk tools, techniques, and treatments as we go - you’re unlocking the door to your physical and mental health AND wealth, and ensuring that your days, weeks, and years ahead revolve around you feeling, looking, and being better, and better, and your best.
(For even more info and insight, be sure to connect with us on social media where you can comment, query, and engage us directly!) 👇