Honey Why Are You Crying Part 2

(Healthy Hormones Part 2)

​For years, women everywhere (and their distraught husbands) have been screaming, “Will someone please stop this crazy emotional rollercoaster—I want to get off!” After finding out in last month’s article that there is an emergency exit called balanced estrogen and progesterone levels, we are suddenly hearing a resounding chorus of “Hallelujah!” Yes, it’s true: the source of all those unexplainable emotional outbursts, those intense cravings for a whole gallon of Rocky Road ice cream at midnight, and those tears shed just because he forgot to pick up the dry cleaning might just be imbalanced hormones. Getting estrogen and progesterone levels in balance may be the first step toward a life of quiet peace and tranquility (so take a deep, soothing breath now before we begin).

The next step toward a life of emotional well-being would be what I call “the liver connection.” When something goes wrong in the body, there always seems to be a connection to the liver in some way or another. This is probably because the liver performs so many vital functions for us, including playing an important role in our emotional state. The liver is largely responsible for the emotional state of a woman because it enables female hormones to be correctly produced and processed through the body, as well as eliminating the used hormones by dumping them into the gallbladder for removal. If the gall bladder is congested (which it usually is with hormone imbalance), then the liver cannot adequately dispose of hormones—the used hormones are recycled again and again, accumulating and crowding. It is this recycling of worn-out hormones that negatively affects a woman’s emotional state. As you may recall from Part 1 of Healthy Hormones, estrogen creates the uterine lining each month in order to prepare for pregnancy as progesterone maintains the lining each month. When there is no fertilization, progesterone decreases since the need to maintain the lining disappears—this is when a period happens. These two hormones must function in the proper amounts in order for the woman’s body to function normally. When the liver is unable to maintain a normal flow of estrogen and progesterone, a woman will feel emotional ups and downs.

Ok, ladies, let’s get real: has anyone ever heard themselves say, “No, Honey, not tonight, I feel bloated”? Have you ever wondered how you could gain five pounds in one day when all you had was two carrot sticks and a diet Coke? Has someone ever asked you “how far along” you were without being pregnant? Have you ever had a hard time fitting into your pants just because you were on your period? If you have experienced any of these troubling moments, the culprit could be a liver that is too congested to process vital hormones. Bloating, weight gain (which may suddenly disappear and reappear), stomach bulges, fluid retention in the ankles and abdomen; all of these are just a few of the indicators of a congested liver. Some other symptoms are breast swelling and tenderness, the development of painful lumps diagnosed as cystic mastitis, a gradual, unexplainable weight gain, headaches that are improved by rest but always return during the same period of your monthly cycle, decreased appetite due to a constant full feeling, weight gain over the hips, upper thighs, breasts and upper arms (regardless of the hours you spend at the gym), joint soreness with characteristic left shoulder pain, congestion and sinus headaches that become worse in the afternoon and evening, menstrual irregularity, absence of menses or too frequent, food cravings for sweets and salty foods, PMS, moodiness and emotional sensitivities, anxiety occurring more at night, and (finally) menopausal symptoms like hot and cold flashes. What a list! All these symptoms can become aggravated if a woman is taking supplemental estrogens such as birth control pills, Premarin, Ogen, Estrace, or the Estroderm patch. Some indicators that the gall bladder may not be functioning well are indigestion after meals, nausea that can progress to vomiting an hour after eating, intestinal gas that develops as the day goes by, loose stool or constipation, right-sided neck tension, and even tension headaches. No fun at all!

We can now see the truth in Psalm 139:14 more clearly:  “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Our bodies are an amazing construct of balance! When one area is not receiving the nutrients it needs, it will affect another area that seems to be unrelated. A good doctor has to be like a good detective: just like a detective investigates clues and motives, a doctor must analyze and research to discover which area is truly responsible for the distressing symptoms. I have to admit—in the beginning of my practice, I was guilty of treating only the symptoms, not the cause. After much trial and error, I learned to look deeper for the root cause and to reach higher for illumination at the same time. As a result, many women have been tremendously helped with their heath problems. I had one patient, for example, that lost about 4 inches from her waist within two weeks of taking steps to balance her hormones naturally; you can bet she walked away rejoicing! The most important person that I helped and rejoice over is my wife. Making our six children pick up their dirty socks and chew with their mouths closed and homeschooling is not always easy. She now has more energy, feels more alert, and does not struggle with bloating or water retention. Let me tell you, a bloated wife is no joke. There’s truth in the statement that “a happy wife means a happy life!”

If you would like to learn which supplements I recommend to help the liver process estrogen in your body so that you too can experience a more emotionally-balance and high-energy life, please email at dr.eric@elitehealthnow.com