The Yin and Yang of our hormones
Our bodies were created in such a way that requires a balance between our gut microbiome to the smallest organ function in our body. Without a properly working liver, our hormones can’t dance together appropriately. Without the needed nutrients our hormones will fight each other to figure out which one is more dominant. I believe all the beautiful hormones we as women have to dance with can be overwhelming for most in our current age. In our modern times, we have so many factors that can’t havoc the tango dance between our hormones, body, and emotions. I see hormones like a tango dance, just as our menstrual cycle. In tango, you have this softness, but yet sometimes you are pulled in one direction with such power. To me, it’s a dance of softness, power, sexuality, and a deep connection to the music. The tango is a dance performed by a man and a woman, expressing an element of romance in their synchronized movements. I believe our hormones function the same way. A dance between yin and yang. Our hormones portray the same energy within us, a dance between our feminine and masculine. This can be a beautiful dance, but if we don’t learn or aware, inquire or know our connection to these hormones, it can evolve into a different dance.
We can have a synchronized balance with our hormones, but we must first need to get to know them and feel them.
Let me introduce you to your closest friends with who you need to share space 24/7: Estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, melatonin—and many more, but the most crucial ones to remember are the ones above.
For most menstruating women, like I mentioned the tango dance can lose its sexuality, rhythm, power, synchronicity resulting in the altered production of one hormone causing the power struggle of another hormone meaning overproduction, altered production or perhaps giving up. This causes a few things PMS, PCOS, infertility, and other symptoms. These hormone imbalances can be the root cause of a wide-array of symptoms, seemingly unconnected, which often makes diagnosis of the underlying problem a frustrating experience for the patient who feels not understood and led into many wrong directions.
So let’s get to know the basic steps to this tango: The parts no one mentions a lot in this dance is the Hypothalamus (an area of the brain), pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain, directly below the hypothalamus) and Adrenal Glands (located on top of the kidneys). These parts must also want to do the tango, we usually hear mainly about the uterus and ovaries. It’s rarely mentioned how those other three parts need to be doing their own tango as well synchronizing with our brain.
The hypothalamus orchestrates the interactions among the genital organs, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands to regulate the female reproductive system. These parts of the body interact with each other by releasing hormones.
Hormones are chemical messengers that control and coordinate activities in the body. The hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. These hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce the female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and some male sex hormones (androgens).
The adrenal glands produce small amounts of female and male sex hormones.
Ovulation
Luteinizing hormone: Luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced and released in the anterior pituitary gland. Stimulates the ovaries to produce estradiol > estrogen. Two weeks into a woman's cycle, a surge in luteinizing hormone causes the ovaries to release an egg during ovulation. If fertilization occurs, the luteinizing hormone will stimulate the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. People who have high levels of luteinizing hormone may experience infertility because the hormone directly impacts the reproductive system. In women, luteinizing hormone levels that are too high are often connected to polycystic ovary syndrome, which creates inappropriate testosterone levels.
Low levels of the luteinizing hormone can also cause infertility because insufficient levels decrease ovulation. Too little luteinizing hormone stops ovulation in women.
Follicular (before the release of the egg)
Estrogen: Estrogen is responsible for female physical features and reproduction. The ovaries and adrenal glands are involved. They need to come and dance together to make things happen. Your estrogen levels change throughout the month. Estrogen it’s the Yang hormone, the one that makes you energized, increased libido, increases serotonin and dopamine, focus on the outer world and wanting to be out there. It also helps stimulate the growth of the egg follicle. It makes your uterus grow and thicken.
Your ovaries, which produce eggs, are the main source of estrogen from your body.
Estrogen also has other functions:
Keeps cholesterol in control
Protects bone health for both women and men
Affects your brain (including mood), bones, heart, skin, and other tissues
At times we can experience high estrogen levels or estrogen dominance that we can experience:
High Estrogen: Weight gain, mainly in your waist, hips, and thighs
Menstrual problems, such as light or heavy bleeding
Worsening of premenstrual syndrome
Fibrocystic breasts (non-cancerous breast lumps)
Fibroids (noncancerous tumors) in the uterus
Fatigue
Loss of sex drive
Feeling depressed or anxious
Low Estrogen: Menstrual periods that are less frequent or that stop
Hot flashes (suddenly feeling very warm) and/or night sweats
Trouble sleeping
Dryness and thinning of the vagina
Low sexual desire
Mood swings
Dry skin
Some women get a menstrual migraine, a bad headache right before their menstrual period, because of the drop in estrogen.
Progesterone:
Progesterone is a steroid hormone belonging to a class of hormones called progestogens. It is secreted by the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine gland that the female body produces after ovulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle. It’s called the YIn hormone because it’s the one that makes us feel calm, relaxed, and retreat from the outer world to go inward.
Luteal (after egg release)
Progesterone prepares the endometrium for the potential of pregnancy after ovulation. It triggers the lining to thicken to accept a fertilized egg. It also prohibits the muscle contractions in the uterus that would cause the body to reject an egg. While the body is producing high levels of progesterone, the body will not ovulate.
If the woman does not become pregnant, the corpus luteum breaks down, lowering the progesterone levels in the body. This change sparks menstruation. If the body does conceive, progesterone continues to stimulate the body to provide the blood vessels in the endometrium that will feed the growing fetus. The hormone also prepares the limit of the uterus further so it can accept the fertilized egg.
Signs of low progesterone include:
Abnormal uterine bleeding
Irregular or missed periods
Spotting and abdominal pain during pregnancy
Frequent miscarriages
In addition, low progesterone levels can cause too-high levels of estrogen, which can decrease sex drive, contribute to weight gain, or cause gallbladder problems.
I hope this helps you connect with your emotions, body, hormones, and the 🌙 🌝 🌚 . If you have any questions please let me know.
Disclaimer: It’s ok if your menses/moon is not in sync with the phases of the moon, but at least keep track of where you are on your cycle, what your body is doing, and asking from you. Perhaps it’s asking you to slow down when you don’t give yourself time to recover. Or perhaps, you need to move to help your body going.
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