Hormonal Imbalance In PCOS: The 3 You Should Be Treating

To truly take control of your PCOS you must first understand, at its core, what's driving your symptoms. PCOS starts off as a metabolic & inflammatory issue that goes on to create hormonal imbalances.

There are many possible imbalanced hormones in PCOS but I want to look closely at 3 today but I want to look closely at 3 today.

Insulin

50-70% of women with PCOS will have elevated levels of insulin due to a condition called insulin resistance. This leads to unexplained weight gain, poor energy levels, and increased hunger and cravings as the cells of your body start to starve. It also causes the ovaries to over-produce testosterone.

Androgens

Androgen is the term used to describe male sex hormones. Excess androgens are one of the hallmarks of PCOS. There are a few possible causes of excess androgen production; the ovaries, adrenals, or fat tissue.High androgens levels in the blood lead to symptoms such as acne, hair loss, hair growth, and menstrual cycle irregularities. Androgens also trigger the excess production of LH.

LH / FSH Ratio

The ratio between LH & FSH is vitally important for a healthy & regular menstrual cycle. Some women with PCOS will have too much LH in relation to FSH.Too high of LH at the start of the menstrual cycle means that the follicle/egg cannot mature. This means ovulation cannot happen and the chance of conceiving is incredibly low. As hormones such as estrogen and progesterone are produced via your menstrual cycle. The hormones will also now start to become imbalanced.

How Do We Treat Imbalanced Hormones In PCOS?

Diet and exercise are the two lifestyle behaviors that get talked about the most when we're speaking about PCOS and for good reason. But, they aren't the only factors can help you take control of your PCOS. Here is what I call the 3 S's of PCOS hormonal balance.

Stress Management

Chronic stress is one of the key driving forces of PCOS. It increased inflammation, worsens insulin resistance, increases testosterone production, not to mention, negatively impacts your emotional well-being.

Rest-based living is a great way to manage stress levels. This means taking a little time each day to rest, bath, stretch, relax, unwind, de-clutter your mind, soothe your soul and relax your body.

Quality Sleep

Sleep is the master reset button for your hormonal state. A lack of sleep can impact your hormones, energy, hunger, cravings, performance, everything! Quality sleep is incredibly vital to overall hormonal health and therefore, your health!

You may need to implement a nighttime routine such as turning off all light, not touching your phone, taking a hot shower and hour before bed, or even supplementing with melatonin.

Smart Supplementation

The products you choose to spend your hard-earned money on need to actually help you with your specific needs. Whether that’s insulin sensitivity, reducing androgen levels, reducing inflammation etc.

This means supplements like inositol, NAC, DIM, saw-palmetto, zinc, Omega-3, and turmeric can all assist you with your specific needs. Don't just take any supplement, it needs to help YOUR specific needs.