The discussion around hormones, hormone health, natural hormone replacement, and hormonal imbalance has primarily been centered around women, but men have hormones too.
Although men don’t have hormone variation as women do (in a monthly cyclical way) men can also suffer from hormonal imbalance and a variety of symptoms.
Today we’re putting the spotlight on natural hormone replacement therapy and the natural issues you may encounter during the aging process.
How Can I Tell If My Hormones Are off Kilter?
Now that we’ve established the obvious: yes, men, you have hormones. These chemical messengers travel throughout our bloodstream to tissues and organs to help them do their job.
Hormones impact many functions, from mood to sexual function to metabolism. So, if you know you, as a man:
- Have hormones
- Can experience hormonal imbalance
Then you’re probably starting to catch on to the fact that hormone treatments are a viable option. In this article, we will focus specifically on natural hormone replacement therapy through Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) with pellets.
Stick around to learn more about BHRT, signs of hormonal imbalance, and how you could benefit from the right treatment plan.
The endocrine system is home to the glands that make our hormones and plays a huge role in human reproduction. In men, the testicles produce testosterone, a hormone that helps:
- Maintain muscle and bone mass
- Sperm production
- Sex drive
But testosterone levels vary among men, and generally, older men have lower testosterone than younger men. And it’s normal for testosterone levels to decline throughout adulthood. Typically, at a rate of 1% a year after the age of 30.
As you can tell, changes in hormones are a natural progression of life. And while men may not experience as dramatic of a dip in hormone levels as women during menopause, men do experience something similar.
What is Andropause?
Many in the healthcare field use “andropause” to describe aging-related hormone changes in men. However, testosterone deficiency, male hypogonadism, and androgen deficiency are also possible.
Over time many men notice changes in their bodies, sleep patterns, and energy levels and for the most part, acknowledge this as part of the aging process. However, many of these symptoms actually stem from hormonal imbalance.
While testosterone is a buzz word for the discussion around male hormones, disproportionate hormone levels can also affect cortisol and thyroid hormone, and influenced by factors other than age.
Beyond age, you may be dealing with hormonal imbalance caused by:
- Poor diet
- Low activity level
- High stress
- An injury
- Genetics
- Medications
Common Symptoms
Everyone will have a different experience, but some of the most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance include:
- Fatigue, lethargy, and lack of motivation
- Frequent illnesses
- Mood swings, anxiety & depression
- Aches, joint pain and longer recovery time from injuries
- Insomnia
- Stubborn weight gain, belly fat, and food cravings
- Hair loss
- Saggy, dry, aging skin
- Difficulty focusing and remembering things
- Decline in libido and inability to achieve or maintain an erection
Still unsure? Take a look at our symptom checklist for men here (and for women here). Answer this completely confidential checklist for more insight into the symptoms you’re experiencing.
Plant-Based Pellets
EVEXIAS Denver’s answer to hormonal imbalance is BHRT with pellets. An effective hormone optimization option that uses natural, plant-based substances to replace hormones.
This approach is far superior to treatments that employ synthetic hormones and can more effectively serve your body. BHRT with pellets involves a simple in-office procedure in which a tiny pellet is inserted into the fatty tissue around the buttocks area.
Because the plant-based substance closely resembles the existing hormones in your body, the pellets will release hormones when your body needs them.
Many patients prefer this to the feeling of a rollercoaster of emotions when waiting for other treatments to kick in. You can experience life-changing relief with a simple procedure that takes less than 30 minutes and requires 2-3 pellet insertions per year!
Lifestyle Modifications
Following your treatment plan, we also recommend making lifestyle modifications to encourage hormonal balance.
- Regular exercise
- A healthy diet
- Monitoring your weight
- Making good lifestyle choices
If you know anything about our mission, then you know we are committed to helping our patients find the root cause of their symptoms.
We’re able to do this because we don’t believe in uniform approaches. Every patient, their health history, their goals, and their environment differs, so when it comes to treating something like hormonal imbalance; we know different approaches are necessary.
Often, BHRT with pellets is the solution many patients are looking for, but if you’re still not sure if it’s the treatment path for you or you’d like to try some hands-on approaches, we have a few suggestions.
Before diving into some of the top natural methods of restoring hormonal balance, we want to discuss three factors that can influence and cause hormonal imbalance.
1. Gut Health
Your gut plays a significant role in your overall health and bodily function. If things are going wrong in your gut, then you’re like to see problems arise in the form of inflammation and lead to issues with your autoimmune system and mental health. When our gut is off-kilter, our body can’t effectively metabolize hormones.
2. DNA
Sometimes, it’s just in your genes. There has been research to support the notion that how we metabolize hormones is written into our genetic code. Cold, hard proof that we all function differently and require different approaches.
3. Environment
The levels of toxicity we are exposed to can also confuse our hormones and throw things out of balance. This could be the chemicals and pollutants we are exposed to as well as stress from work or unhealthy relationships. When you meet with our team, we can help you work through some actionable steps to eliminating toxicity from your life.
Support Your Hormone Health
Now that you have some more background on what can cause the hormonal imbalance let’s get right into how you can fix it. Incorporating lifestyle changes around your diet, physical and emotional practices, and even adopting simple techniques could help keep your body in balance.
The following list is meant as a recommendation, for proper diagnosis and treatment plan, please schedule an appointment.
1. Eat Cruciferous Veggies
You better add broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and all the other delicious cruciferous vegetables to your grocery list. These veggies contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is metabolized in the body to produce diindolylmethane (DIM). Both substances help modulate estrogen.
2. Make Exercise Part of Your Routine
We’re certain we don’t have to get into the hundreds of studies showing the benefits of regular exercise, but this is worth putting on the list. Physical activity can have a considerable effect on hormonal health and can reduce insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity.
In addition, you can boost levels of muscle-maintaining hormones, like testosterone, which decline naturally as we age. Aim for aerobic exercise, strength training, and endurance exercises. If you’re unable to perform vigorous exercise, studies have shown benefits from regular walking, too!
3. Sleep
Not getting optimal sleep can have a huge impact on our overall wellbeing and can actually throw off hormones like cortisol and ghrelin.
- Take appropriate measures to unplug from the digital world long before bed.
- Make your sleep space relaxing.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about supplements that may help you fall and stay asleep, naturally.
4. Stress Management
Stress can shock our system and harm our hormonal health. Identify the areas of your life that are most stressful and work on a plan to manage it. Whether you exercise to:
- Release built-up tension
- Speak to a therapist
- Practice 15 minutes of meditation
- Unplug for an afternoon
5. Don’t Overeat or Undereat
Eating too much or too little can cause hormonal shifts that lead to weight problems. While overeating can increase insulin levels and reduce insulin sensitivity, undereating can increase cortisol levels (the stress hormone), which is known to promote weight gain. Speak to your healthcare provider about your healthy calorie range and try to dig deeper to understand why you may be over or undereating.
Feel Your Best
- Have you tried any of these lifestyle modifications before?
- Did you notice an improvement?
- Not sure if hormones are to blame?
Our goal is to help you find a comprehensive plan of action that will help you feel your best and live your healthiest life! Check out our hormone symptom checklist on this page.
If you’re ready to restore balance and reclaim your health, we’re here for you. Together we’ll get to the root cause of your symptoms and craft a treatment plan.
Give us a call at (720) 625-8043 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your consultation now.