How to Balance Your Hormones: Advice from Claudia Welch (Part 2)
As promised here is the second half of my interview with the wise and wonderful Claudia Welch—along with a great video interview I found online. Loved reading everyone’s comments in Part 1, and I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys think of the book!
Since reading it I’ve been practicing many of the recommendations, and I honestly see a difference in how I feel. I don’t expect overnight miracles, but I’m hopeful that these practices are going to help regulate my periods and hormonal fluctuations. If anyone is interested in going deeper Dr. Welch is offering a live phone and online course in this stuff (that’s a link to sign up for a free call)—I’m going to try to sit in on a few if I can.
We’re curious: For those of you who have experienced imbalances, what—if anything—have you noticed affects this most? Is it stress, or food choices, or have you not made the connection? It’s so great to hear all your stories, and as Dr. Welch pointed out, we have such an intelligent and thoughtful community of readers here. The best!
Onto the interview…
Your prescriptions for rebalancing seem so simple, but they’re also quite specific. Tell us about a few that you’ve found very effective.
It is true that some of the prescriptions are simple. But simple can still be hard. If the prescription, for example, is: slow down, and we have been driving ourselves forward for too long, we may not know what “slow down” looks like, or how to get there from here. Sometimes “slow down” is the main prescription and it is often the most effective. But there are other, easier short term remedies that can be very effective.
When we have excess stress in our lives, our nervous systems become hyper sensitive. When they become hypersensitive, we are more likely to translate benign events as threatening ones. When we do that, more stress hormones are secreted, making our nervous systems even more hypersensitive. It is a downward cycle. If we could but calm down the nervous system, we could help break that cycle. And lo, there are ways and means to accomplish that very thing. And, behold, they are simple. Or can be.
One simple remedy is warm oil self-massage–called “Abhyanga” in Ayurveda. There are loads of nerve endings that enervate our skin–the largest organ of our bodies. In essence, we can calm the nervous system through the skin. It works. It is a bit too much to explain here, but it is described in an Appendix in Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life.
I also love 15 minutes of gentle Alternate Nostril Breathing practice, daily. I find it to be one of the most powerful remedies for hot flashes and hormonal imbalance in general.
High-intensity workouts are all the rage right now, but you warn that this type of exercise can be detrimental to some women—when do you recommend against it?
Eastern medicine recognizes that different constitutions require different amounts and types of exercise to maintain optimal health. Stronger, sturdier constitutions do well to engage in longer, harder workouts, while women with slight or delicate frames, do better with slower, er, less sweaty workouts.
There can be many signs that a woman is over exercising. When a woman, for example, is underweight or her periods are scanty, absent or irregular, these are some signs she is either under-nourished, over-exercising or simply outspending her resources in other arenas. In other words, even if she is consuming a healthy diet and getting regular and good sleep–both activities that serve to nourish yin in her body–her output may be exceeding her input. The energy she commits to exercise, work, run errands, etc. may be greater than energy she receives from food, sleep, sweet relationships and down time. In these situations, it would be much better for a woman to engage in gentle yoga, walking, tai qi or qi gong, than weight lifting, running, vigorous yoga or rigorous workouts.
Our bodies prioritize survival over reproduction so they will–100% of the time–allocate whatever nourishment we are receiving, first to our survival and to the organs and tissues that are crucial to survival. If there are resources left over, then they can go to nourish a healthy reproductive system.
Many of us in our forties and older, will remember Jane Fonda’s “make it burn” video workouts and feel like we are being lazy if we do anything less, but there are entire exercise forms in the East that focus more on moving qi or prana–our life force–internally, with gentle, minimal or even no physical movement. When we look at masters of those forms, they may barely move and never break a sweat, but are in incredible shape. These masters understand the value of irrigating our internal organs with energy, rather than simply our muscles, and we can see the results.
You devote a chapter in the book to endocrine disruptors in our environment, including the presence of pthalates in personal care products. When you were researching this topic, what surprised you the most?
That every single person–including infants– tested now hosts an impressive profile of synthetic chemical pollutants.
And that it can take very small amounts of this stuff to do significant damage.
It is also surprising to me how many women are slow—or even unwilling—to give up personal care or household products that contain these chemicals. Honestly, I don’t see how the risk could be worth it.
Paying a little extra sometimes for products that have ingredients that we recognize—or can at least pronounce… isn’t that worth it for the health of ourselves and our families? And our planet? This stuff is getting into our water supplies and polluting our land, air, fish, and animals.
With that in mind, what does your beauty routine look like?
I wash my hair a couple times a week and shake my head. I like Weleda Rosemary shampoo the most, but it’s hard to find. Shikai Gold will do. I use Sarada Ayurvedic Remedies Clarifying Masque overnight if I feel a pimple coming on. Amazing. I use Four Elements Rose Comfrey moisture cream, when I need it, on my face, neck and hands. It has such a wonderful fragrance. And seven decent ingredients. Only. I use unscented Crystalux crystal deoderant body powder, which consists of two safe ingredients: natural mineral salts and corn starch. I love Floracopeia’s essential oils, as perfumes or oils that simply have a good effect on me. Which ones I use varies with the weather, season, and my mood. These days, when it is hot out I like their Rose-Vetiver Attar, but the second it becomes cooler, I prefer Neroli.
This is one of our favorite questions: When do you feel most beautiful?
I feel most physically beautiful when I get to have simple, nourishing, whole food, and regular exercise—either brisk walks or hikes—in beautiful places with clean air. I feel more vibrant, my skin is softer and rosier and I smell better. No kidding.
Amen! And happy Friday everyone. We hope you can get into a little bit of nourishment this weekend, whatever that looks like for you.
I have had extremely irregular and scanty periods since was 17, and over the years have collected a host of other symptoms such as debilitating cramps, terrible bloating, pain during sex, and light facial hair. I had started to feel like all of these things were just “normal” for me and had kind of given up on feeling better. This article has really made me think about how all of these things could be connected and inspired me to try and work towards regulating my body. On a side note, has anyone had any experience of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? My research keeps leading me back to this and I suspect that it may be at the root of my problems?
Thank you for publishing such a wonderful interview and I look forward to reading Claudia’s book and trying out the recommendations…
Ugh, Katy I can totally relate. Lately, when my period does decide to show up it’s also with bad bloating and cramps. As for PCOS, you should definitely see your doctor if you suspect you have it. Also, Christiane Northrup’s book that Siobhan reviewed here is an incredible resource http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2012/05/have-you-read-womens-bodies-womens-wisdom/
I thought I would share two things that are helping me slow down, since this is a challenge for most of us.
1) Learn to say no. It is incredibly liberating. People who matter will understand that you need to take time for yourself.
2) Volunteer, for me that’s especially with the elderly and the dying. There is no better way to keep things into perspective and worry about what really matters. Although adding something to your schedule may seem like the opposite of what you should be doing, I find that time takes on another quality when you are giving it away freely to a cause that you care about and to people who appreciate it.
Thank you for this, part 1 & part 2! It’s such a timely piece for me and I look forward to reading the book.
@Katy – my doctor said I have that PCOS and had me go on the pill. I tried it for 3 months and in the final month was getting my period way too frequently so I just stopped and they kinda went back to normal (normal meaning every 6-8 weeks which I know really isn’t!) I just don’t want to rely on the pill to solve the problem!
My experience with hormonal imbalances- birth control started giving me migraines, so I went off of it, and went through about a year of hell while my hormones realigned. It was like PMS x 1000, happening somewhat randomly. I’d fly off the handle over absolutely NOTHING, have a total weeping breakdown, and then be fine the next day. Eventually things balanced out, but the emotional effects were CRAZY. Really made me realize how much of our personality is controlled by hormones (I’m downright surprised I didn’t drive my boyfriend away, I was acting super crazy.)
My hormone story is long and crazy. Now, at 44, and having had perimenopause symptoms since I was 37, I know that nutrition is the most important thing for me. In my case being vegan/raw/gluten free and taking iron a a few other supplements, including black cohosh, work well. I also do a bioidentical progesterone cream (took me a while to find one without phenoxyethanol) to keep me from killing people. I’m kind of a bitch anyway, but without the progesterone I’m way over the top. Yoga and other exercise are also critical. My body is still changing all the time though, so I’m always looking for more information. Right now the issue is facial hair. And I’ve been feeling more bloated before my period, and my back aches before/during this time as well.
I just started reading Dr. Welch’s ebook, and I’m hoping to soon get to the parts that will address my issues. I’m a little frustrated so far, I think because as an anatomy & physiology teacher I can’t stand to hear the hormones analogized as Fred and Wilma Flintstone (but I’m trying to read around that stuff). I know the facts about the hormones, and it’s always good to review, but what I’m hoping for is practical information. I will keep reading!
Oh, and, I completely agree w/Dr. Welch that it’s odd so many people are unwilling to give up the less-than-clean products they use. I get that people have different standards of “clean,” but when one agrees that an ingredient is dangerous or extremely suspicious, why would one continue to use it, regardless of budget or anything else? Not worth it. I’ve been mulling over this topic for a post since I was first asked to contribute regularly.
@Alexandra -thank you I will get in checked out. And I actually ordered that book last week, thanks to Siobhan’s recommendation! Can’t wait to read it.
@Michelle – thanks for sharing. I am also reluctant to ever go on the pill again and want to find natural means of regulation.
@Rebecca
I think you will probably want to kill me for saying this, but have you considered that perhaps the vegan diet is not the best, particularly if you have hormonal problems? I used to be vegetarian and only now that I have gone paleo do all the issues that I’ve had since I was 6 are clearing up and that also includes everything that started happening to my body after I passed my mid thirties (in fact, it looks like even my perimenopause symptoms are getting better). I posted quite a few resources on the first part of this post, in case you are interested.
Rebecca, what brand of bioidentical progesterone cream do you use? I am 43, eat mostly vegan, unprocessed but occasional salmon and eggs. I have similar symptoms when due for my period, the bloating especially. Insomnia as well but that is all month long. I just ordered the book, can’t wait to receive it!
@JeanineD, I hardly want to kill you at all! ; ) Seriously, I have considered all kinds of things. I was eating meat during the first few years of perimenopause and things were much worse then. There was a time in my life when I think it was healthy for me to eat meat (of course, only if it came from healthy animals). Since going vegan I have tried a couple times to incorporate meat back in as an experiment, and I don’t do well with it anymore. My intention is to stay vegan, but I leave open the possibility that as my body continues to change I may need to make other adjustments. Everyone is a little different, and I think if we pay attention, and are not overwhelmed by toxins, our bodies will usually tell us what to do. I do feel like I’m missing some detail that could really help me with my current challenges, and I’m hoping to find a clue in Dr. Welch’s advice.
@dannielle, it’s Nat Pro, http://www.organicproducts-llc.com/natpro-progesterone-cream.html
Thanks for sharing with us this beautiful and informative post…