A hormonal imbalance can be a difficult concept to grasp–even and especially to those suffering from one.

Hormonal changes occur from the moment we’re born to the moment we die, with more pronounced shifts taking place in the teenage years, and for women in their 40s and 50s. While we chalk up certain physiological shifts as a result of our aging bodies (and minds), they may actually have nothing to do with the natural changes of aging and everything to do with a hormonal imbalance–regardless of age or other naturally occurring hormonal changes.

Calling something a hormonal imbalance is an easy explanation for just about everything–from otherwise inexplicable irritability to the sweat-soaked nights. Meanwhile, a hormonal imbalance also seems to be a result of just about everything–from diet to pollution, to stress. So, it’s no wonder why hormones are left so little understood; the scope of being influenced and influencing other things is just too wide.

And while a lot of the mood-related symptoms are commonly understood, far too few people are accustomed to the telltale physical signs that they have a hormonal imbalance, especially when multiple signs occur at the same time.

Here are five signs you have a hormonal imbalance.

Hormonal Imbalance Signs

1. Weight Gain

The adrenal glands are endocrine glands that produce hormones, including adrenaline, aldosterone, and cortisol. A hormone imbalance can exhaust the adrenal system, which in effect makes it harder to lose weight or even maintain one’s regular weight. It can also lead to weight gain, without changing diet at all.

2. Sweating

A common symptom of premenopausal women, hot flashes and night sweats can occur at a younger age if a hormonal imbalance is present. If you repeatedly wake up sweaty or experience hot flashes during the day, without necessarily being in a hot climate, then a hormonal balance may be to blame.

3. Persistent Acne

A lot of women break out whenever they have their period due to normal hormonal shifts. However, if the acne persists, you may have high testosterone levels in your body. Testosterone stimulates the excess production of sebum oil, which gets stuck under the skin with acne-causing bacteria and dead skin cells. This leads to clogged pores, pimples, and blemishes.

4. Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness tends to occur when menopause approaches. However, a reduction of estrogen levels at any age can cause changes in the vaginal walls. Vaginal dryness makes sex uncomfortable.

5. Excessive or Unwanted Hair

High levels of testosterone in the body can cause women to develop excessive body or facial hair. All females produce androgens (male hormones), but the levels are normally low. Producing too many androgens lead to male-pattern hair growth and other unwanted male characteristics, such as a deep voice.

Related on EcoSalon
Plastic Hormones: Environmental Estrogen is Everywhere
The Right to Refuse Fertility Hormones
The New Dirty Dozen: Avoid These Dangerous Endocrine Disruptors

The post 5 Signs You Have a Hormonal Imbalance appeared first on EcoSalon.

Women. We are all unique in our own ways. But there is one thing we can agree on. Hormonal imbalance sucks. How you deal with it is as personal as your preference in diet or exercise.

When we hit mid-life, we women gain clarity, confidence, and wisdom. We also have to duke it out with our hormones. After decades of monthly cycles, PMS, pregnancy, childbirth…you’d think we would be off the hook with hormonal ups and downs. Oh no, the fun has only begun.

Then again, you may get through perimenopause relatively unscathed, though most women report at least a little discomfort. Even if you’ve never had a cramp or hormonal mood swing in your life, you can still get walloped with unexpected (and unwanted) pre-menopausal symptoms.

The symptoms of hormonal imbalance go well beyond hot flashes and mood swings. Anxiety, fatigue, sleeplessness, digestive issues, and headaches are all common complaints too, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you have yet to hit perimenopause and this all sounds like one hot mess, here’s a bit of advice I wish someone had given me – prepare yourself for the inevitable change and the symptoms it may be bringing with it.

None of us knows exactly when “the change” will occur, nor what particular symptoms it will bring. But getting clear on which approach you plan to take and arming yourself with some knowledge will help to fend off the insecurity and overwhelm this time can cause.

You may think the only options out there for peri and menopausal symptoms are hormonal supplements. And you’ve likely heard of the controversy surrounding traditional hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) from the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) which pretty much struck fear in the heart of every woman nearing 40.

The study basically showed that women taking synthetic hormones which contain pregnant horse mare urine, otherwise known as Premarin or Prempro, were more prone to breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Not only are our hormones not identical to horses (duh) but research has shown mares used for these drugs, and their foals, are not always treated well. These days we know more about hormonal supplementation and our options.

Bioidentical hormones are made to replicate the hormones our body produces naturally. These tend to have fewer side effects and seem to be better at treating symptoms. The key is in figuring out where you are low with the help of your doctor. But there are other options to consider first.

Dr. Sara Gottfried is an OB/GYN on a mission. Rather than simply prescribing a common synthetic hormone to patients who come into her office dealing with perimenopausal symptoms, Dr. Gottfried takes a multistep approach.

First, is your diet and lifestyle supporting you through this transition? Are you eating whole foods or cramming in junk? Getting adequate sleep or burning the midnight oil in an attempt to get it all done? Taking time to enjoy yourself and meditate or burning the candle at both ends (and down to the nub)? Fixing these issues can put you on the road to feeling better quickly.

If you are doing all of the healthy lifestyle steps listed above and feeling no reprieve, Dr. Gottfried feels certain nutritional supplements may help. There are many vitamin, adaptogens, and other herbal supplements that help some women with their symptoms. Talk to your doctor about adding these to your diet.

Or maybe you are ready for some hormonal supplementation. Bioidentical hormones can be tailored to the individual, not a one size fits all like synthetic hormones. Most doctors prescribe bioidentical hormones in the smallest dose possible to start with the idea of using them for a short time, just until the patient feels better.

I was very resistant to try any type of hormone, bio or not. My Mom died of cancer after years of taking Prempro and these didn’t fit in with my lifestyle. Diet changes and experimenting with natural supplements helped for a while, but when digestive issues set in I was willing to try (almost) anything. My doctor suggested a bioidentical progesterone and I knew after taking the first dose that this was what my body was lacking. I signed on for three months of the medication and after that, we shall see.

If your doctor is not on board with bioidenticals or other alternative therapies (mine fully dismissed the diet connection, which I totally disagree with) it may be time to look for a new doctor. In the meantime, two super helpful resources on the subject are “The Hormone Cure” by Dr. Sara Gottfried and “The Wisdom of Menopause” by Dr. Christiane Northrup.

Related on EcoSalon

5 Common Causes of Brain Fog and How to Clear It Up

5 Healthy Ways to Relieve PMS Symptoms

Thinking About Menstruation as Providing Wisdom

Image of confused woman via Shutterstock

The post Handling Hormonal Imbalance with Hormone Supplements: Synthetic, Bioidentical or Neither? appeared first on EcoSalon.

HelloFlo unleashes the best tampon commercial in the world.

Everything is right about this commercial from HelloFlo, the monthly subscription service for girls.

There’s the girl desperate to grow up and fit in with her friends, the mom’s inspired First Moon party as punishment for daughter faking her period, the guy who shows up with coffee filters—it’s all just amazing.

If there were Emmy Awards for best actor in a commercial, I would nominate both mom and daughter.

However, as some of us inch away from the “new to the whole period thing” phase of life and closer to menopause, I suggest that HelloFlo introduce a new care package to its family: Farewell Flo!

Users can sign up to receive shipments of tampons, lube, chocolate, pads specifically designed for those hearty coughs and laughs that lead to pee leaks, herbal supplements and soothing teas. The starter kit also will also include a portable fan and a calendar that you can throw away immediately upon receipt.

Shipments will arrive sporadically at the most inopportune moments (just like your period will).

I first fell in love with HelloFlo last summer when the company released its ad, “The Camp Gyno.” In it, the first girl to get her period rules her summer camp and awesomely refers to her period as, “The Red Badge of Courage,” and to HelloFlo’s care packages as, “Santa for your vagina.”

What’s amazing about both of these ads is that they turn periods from something gross or scary into a brag-worthy rite of passage. The girls are owning their bodies from a young age, which is incredibly powerful.

More than that, we see girls talking to one another about their bodies using real words for their body parts—but still sounding and looking like real adolescents, eye rolls and all.

Note to the genius team handling marketing for HelloFlo, I’m serious. Tweet me: @LibbyLowe

Related on EcoSalon

Yellowberry: Age-Appropriate Lingerie

The Princess and the Tramp

A Song About Your Period 

Organic Period Panties?

The post HelloFlo: The Best Tampon Commercial Ever appeared first on EcoSalon.

The benefits of mango with a recipe to add to the love.

Mango is a meaty fruit that holds its own quite well in more complex dishes. It is a nutrition powerhouse with some major benefits – it lowers cholesterol, regulates sex hormones, boosts sex drive, improves concentration and memory, treats acne, fights diabetes, and prevents cancer and heart disease. It it also helpful for women going through menopause or who are pregnant.

The parsley adds an earthy tone to the citrus from the grapefruit and sweetness from the mango, and the cayenne gives the salad an additional edge that will not only taste great but also boost your metabolism.

Spicy Mango Citrus Ceviche

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• Juice of 1 grapefruit
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Dash of sea salt

Directions:

Julienne the mango and place on a serving tray with the grapefruit juice. The longer the mango sits in the citrus, the more tender and infused with flavor it becomes.

Add the sea salt, cayenne and chopped parsley or cilantro.

Toss and serve.

Enjoy!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Recipe: Spicy Mango Citrus Ceviche appeared first on EcoSalon.

It is the tail end of summer in New York, and I’m having a hard time following the commonly held “green” recommendation to keep my thermostat set to 78 degrees. Believe me, I have my reasons.

For one thing, I am at a point in my life where estrogen is racing out of my body faster than oil out of a deep-water BP well. As a result, my inner thermostat is completely out of whack – it feels like I have my own personal furnace lodged under my pancreas, hitting me with blasts of steamy air throughout the day and night. The phrase “hot flashes” does not do this condition justice, as it implies intermittent spells of overheating followed by cooling-off periods. I have not found this to be the case. I am hot all the damn time – my face red, my clothes damp, my hair attractively plastered to my head.

I have noticed a temperamental component that comes with these mid-life changes – there is a certain moody intolerance, a cranky disinterest in the needs and opinions of others. I look at this as a positive thing: I have finally outgrown my lifelong habit of compulsive people-pleasing. Others, however, are less fond of this development and have referred to me as crabby, aggressive, and short-tempered. The phrase “meaner than a mountain polecat” has cropped up once or twice. My kids derisively refer to me as “Sunshine.” Although not, you can be sure, to my face.

On top of all this, New York has been having one of the hottest summers in recorded history, with countless days over 90 degrees and unbearable, rain forest-like humidity. Every morning it seems that the local weatherman announces another heat advisory, another day of oppressive, scorching sun.

For me, these conditions have combined to create a Perfect Storm of heat intolerance. I keep my air conditioner set to 67 degrees because any warmer than that and I might have to kill someone.

Not everyone is a fan of this practice – I am constantly being told that my house is too cold. My daughter walks around the house in sweat pants and a hoodie, with her nose running and her lips a lovely and delicate shade of blue. Guests come to my home in August wearing long sleeves and fleece vests (although given my combustible attitude, it’s a wonder they show up at all).

I feel guilty about the fossil fuels I am wasting and I try hard to make up for my eco failures this season. None of my summer barbecues have featured paper plates or disposable cups – which is a real sacrifice for someone as inherently lazy as I am. I am hoping to balance out my carbon footprint by using less heating oil during the coming winter, when I will keep my house at a lovely and arctic 63 degrees. Until then, my family is hoping for a leveling off of the weather – and my hormone-induced crabbiness.

Meanwhile, I am trying my best to ride out the summer and be more courteous to others. Book group is at my house next week and in an effort to be nice I thoughtfully sent my guests an evite that ended with some well-meaning advice: “Bundle up, bitches.”

Image: Ed Yourdon

The post Summer 2010: Ice Ice Baby appeared first on EcoSalon.

No one growing up during the upbeat, Mattel-directed Sixties figures they’ll be worse off in middle age, forced to scrounge harder for work, buy less, live smaller.

Those Barbie songs my sister and I sang along to in our pink and green room constituted teenage visions of a supercalifragelistic future that we owned, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, four kids, a shiny Lincoln and full-service yacht.

“Here’s a cake, that you and I can make, I’ll share the recipe, if you say yes to me.”

But due to the recession and soaring costs of raising two girls in the city, I’m singing a different tune today on my birthday. Sure, I married Ken, but where are the other Camelot conquests I was guaranteed?

Gone is the wine country home, jaunts to spas on a whim, the black velvet boxes concealing gems he bought for me with cash from cases he settled.

Despite the unexpected Barbie plot twist, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude as I take inventory of what I do have.

For instance, I spotted a gold necklace on Fillmore Street with a round charm that that bore the words I am completely blessed. I didn’t dare buy the $600 trinket but I have kept the affirmation close to my heart.

So, I’ve decided to count my blessings today (my colleague Sarah Irani should know that quite a few of them came free!). Here are a whopping 50, plus one for good luck.

I am completely blessed because…

1. I birthed two healthy, spectacular daughters who teach me something new each day.

2. I married a great father.

3.  I follow my bliss every day that I write.

4. My girls are strapping amazons because God gave me super human breast milk.

5. I’m surrounded by friends who are like family.

6.   My mother is still around and down to just one biting criticism of me a day.

7. I am never hungry when I don’t want to be.

8. We live without war in the  streets of San Francisco.

9. I have not been killed by a truck like my brother.

10. My religious faith has connected me to a community of fellow yentas to grow old with.

11. My older sister is an exceptional auntie.

12. My older brother is keeping the family business afloat during rocky times.

13. My pug and cat think I’m their mommy and I am.

14. I married father nature.

15. I’m healthy and strong from exercise and can climb the fence when I get locked out.

16. The builder’s daughter has always had a roof over her head.

17. I have commercial-free TV.

18. I have art on my walls from friends who made it.

19. I have memorized dozens of bedtime songs.

20. My daughters sing the songs I have sung to them.

21. My children are known for being creative and kind.

22. My beloved camera almost always works.

23. My children can read and write and like to do both.

24. My children make me exquisite birthday presents and set a regal table with a tiara at my place.

25. I can walk to the movie theater on Saturday nights.

26. No one at the theater asks me if I want the senior discount.

27. My city has excellent public transportation.

28. I can still see very well when I wear magnified lenses.

29. My mom, who unloads much, has kept her box at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

30. My children get to use the box at the Hollywood Bowl and hear live music.

31. No menopause yet.

32. Menopause will come sooner or later.

33. I think I’ve seen god.

34. I think god is the miracle of birth.

35. I have learned how to kayak.

36. I have learned Italian.

37. Henna makes me higher than jewelry.

38. I married a great teacher.

39. My husband rarely spends money. When he does, it is on books and candy.

40. I have kept my commitments.

41. I’m in a bad girls book club.

42. My book club is all about the food.

43. Decent chick flicks are still being made, i.e. Julie and Julia.

44. I can grow vegetables in my yard to make soup.

45. I can pick flowers in my yard for table bouquets.

46. I can find stylish Sixties-inspired fashion on sale.

47. My Weight Watchers Guru is a Stanford Nutritionist.

48. I have gained the wisdom to see my own culpability.

49. I was born a healthy female in a rich land.

50. I’m a survivor because my Polish grandparents were survivors.

51. Today is my 51st birthday.

Main image: Sparkleneeley

Second image: Luanne Bradley

This is the fourth in Luanne’s new lifestyle column, Life in the Green Lane.

The post Another Year Older and Deeper in Debt: A Shift in the Barbie Paradigm appeared first on EcoSalon.