A worryingly increasing number of my friends and clients have come to me recently to ask me about balancing their hormones. Each time I sigh because it makes me think, social media has a lot to answer for. Here’s the short answer, you can not balance your hormones. Its nonsense so please don’t listen and for goodness sake do not give your hard earned money to anyone selling you something they say will do this for you.

OK let me be clear, there are a number of serious conditions related to hormones that need diagnosis and treatment from an endocrinologist or doctor. Conditions like PCOS, hypothyroidism, diabetes or Graves disease, these come with significant symptoms and need monitoring and treatment. Conditions like these can be caused by medication, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and eating disorders.

Hormones play an ingrate role in the normal function of our bodies, they are the chemical messengers, produced in the endocrine glands, they signal to the body what to do. Hormones play a part in major processes like metabolism and reproduction and our bodies have evolved to keep this clever system in balance. Our bodies ultimate goal is to maintain homeostasis (equilibrium) it does this via positive and negative feedback loops. “A feedback loop is a biological occurrence wherein the output of a system amplifies the system (positive feedback) or inhibits the system (negative feedback). Feedback loops are important because they allow living organisms to maintain homeostasis”. – albert.io.

If you are experiencing symptoms like this list below then please see your doctor:

• unexplained and sometimes sudden weight loss
• fatigue
• muscle weakness
• muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness
• pain, stiffness, or swelling in your joints
• increased or decreased heart rate
• sweating
• increased sensitivity to cold or heat
• constipation or more frequent bowel movements
• frequent urination
• increased thirst
• increased hunger
• decreased sex drive
• depression
• nervousness, anxiety, or irritability
• blurred vision
• infertility
• thinning hair or fine, brittle hair

The reason people end up on social media looking for answers, in my experience, is that they are experiencing some weight gain, they feel tired and run down or they are anxious. You can see how it’s possible to fall for these scams on social media because well these symptoms sound similar to those of an actual hormone imbalance. We forget that actually just stopping to take a look at our lifestyle should be the first answer.

Start with the big players, as I like to call them, sleep, hydration, nutrition, movement, stress, daylight.

• Are you getting enough good quality, uninterrupted sleep?
• Do you drink enough water?
• Are you eating in a way that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs?
• Do you move daily, preferably outside in daylight?
• How much stress are you under?

If you can honestly answer that all of these elements are in check and you still feel unwell, exhausted, anxious or, you’re losing or gaining weight that you can’t explain then it’s time to see your GP. It isn’t time to head onto social media looking for answers, you’ll usually find someone trying to sell you the secret, when there isn’t one.

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