Stress Management in a Hormone Balancing Protocol
Megan Tantillo, RN
Stress is defined as the body’s response to a threat or a perceived threat, and can be emotional or physical in nature.
Work-related, family, or financial issues for instance are emotional threats, while infection, disease, and nutritional deficiencies are physical (Varvogli & Darviri, 2011).
Though stress is an innate physiologic response of the body and is beneficial to some degree, prolonged stress has been linked to serious physical and mental health outcomes including anxiety, depression, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and hormone imbalance to name a few (Sharma & Rush, 2014).
Photo by Melanie Ruth
Whether those stressors are an immediate threat to your well-being, for instance, stress related to working with a monster boss isn’t actually going to kill you, your endocrine system, more specifically your adrenal glands, will respond the same — with a surge of stress hormones, primarily cortisol.
It is nearly impossible to escape stress in our fast paced modern culture however, this way of life ensures a steady stream of cortisol wreaking havoc on female hormones especially.
For many women, stress is a silent underlying culprit of hormone imbalance and PMS.
Stress is simply a part of life and experienced by all however, far too many women struggle with unrelenting stress, and their hormonal health suffers.
This is because when the body perceives it is under stress, it shuts down non-essential functions (including sex hormone production) to conserve energy in order to keep you safe.
Do you struggle with PMS, irregular periods, acne, weight gain around the belly, poor digestion, anxiety or depression? Yes? Then my next question is, are you actively managing stress?
As a nurse health coach with a focus on women’s health and fertility, I teach my clients how to prioritize stress management in order to balance hormones and optimize fertility. We do this by tackling stress from all angles.
FOOD
As always, it starts with food. You must eat to balance blood sugar as extreme highs and lows is considered physical stress.
Fill at least half your plate with non-starchy vegetables i.e. greens, asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage are some of our favorites. Fiber from vegetables should be the star of your plate. Pair this with a serving of quality protein and fat to elongate your blood sugar curve, keeping you full and satisfied until your next meal. No stressful blood sugar spikes here. 🙌🏻
Lifestyle
Next, implement a self-reflection practice. Whether that looks like journaling, meditation or yoga, whatever feels good to you is the practice I recommend.
We also focus on sleep hygiene, as grounding the circadian rhythm is crucial for healthy hormone production. Getting quality sleep (i.e. 7-8 hours a night, asleep by 10p) is crucial.
Labs
The best way to assess stress response is with a 4-point cortisol test. Ask your provider to test your cortisol in the morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and night to obtain a comprehensive assessment of cortisol. For our clients, we typically recommend the DUTCH Complete.
Supplements
Lastly, we use supplementation to support adrenal function and stress response. A popular addition to our care plans is FemChill, a blend of nutrients that support hormone balance, glucose metabolism and promote a calm, cool and collected state. 🧘🏼♀️
Adrenal Boost is a blend of adaptogenic herbs plus B-vitamins needed for adrenal hormone production (think cortisol and DHEA). This formula was designed to support healthy stress response and improve energy levels.
Now that you understand the profound effect stress has on the female cycle, it is my hope you use this information as power. You are not doomed to suffer with hormonal symptoms simply because you are a menstruating woman.
Hormonal symptoms are a warning sign from the body that something is out of balance, and for many women, the culprit is stress.
References
Sharma, M., & Rush, S. E. (2014). Mindfulness based stress reduction as a stress management intervention for healthy individuals. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 19(4), 271-286.
Varvogli, L. & Darviri, C. (2011). Stress management techniques: evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health. Health Science Journal, 5(2), 74-89.
Megan Tantillo BSN, RN is the founder of Holistic Health Code on a mission to provide accessible holistic care and education for all. Megan is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with special interest in women's health and telehealth technologies.