Did you know that humans possess 50 hormones? 50!
From adrenal health and blood sugar to fertility and thyroid function, hormones are the root of, well, everything! 🤯
Hormones control or regulate many biological processes and are often produced in very low amounts within the body.
Hormones regulate our blood sugar. Thanks, Insulin! 👋
Growth and energy production (Growth Hormone and Thyroid Hormone)
Differentiation, growth, and reproduction hormones (Testosterone and Estrogen)
The Endocrine System is made up of all the hormones in the body. This system supports brain and nervous system development, reproduction, metabolism, and blood sugar.
Let’s break down what hormones do for our bodies (male and female) through our life cycle, how to keep them balanced and supported, and how to live a non-toxic lifestyle to keep the hormone disruptors at bay.
Hormone disruptors are the hidden toxins that wreak havoc on your health
Over the last two decades, there has been a growing awareness of the adverse effects of exposure to chemicals that surround you every day from your cleaners, laundry soaps, plastic dishware, and essentially everything you find in your bathroom (perfume, body wash, shampoos & conditioners, and lotions to name a few).
Unfortunately, we are bombarded with free radicals.
Over time, these can cause:
❌ Developmental malformations
❌ Reproductive interference
❌ Increased risk of cancers and other diseases
❌ Poor immune and nervous system function
❌ Weight gain
The good news is we can start cleaning up our homes and our health TODAY. Start reading labels and ditching the toxic products for those that are less toxic or non-toxic.
👉 Download the EWG App and start scanning the products you regularly use in your home and start ditching & switching!
Does this sound like you or someone you know?
👉 Weight Gain
👉 Irregular Periods
👉 Low Libido
👉 Acne
👉 Hair Loss
👉 Digestive Issues
👉 Mood Swings
Hormones are the root of everything. While we love to overcomplicate what we need to do with our bodies to get healthy, we can overlook the basics.
We try to sprint, when we’re actually in a marathon, and wonder why we feel so exhausted before we get to the finish line. 🏃♀️
👇 Here’s what I’m talking about:
✅ Throwing the candles and scented air fresheners in the garbage and switching to diffusers
✅ Eating enough clean, whole foods to regulate your blood sugar, and not using coffee to replace meals and water
✅ Supporting your natural circadian rhythm (think natural vitamin D on your belly in the morning!)
✅ Avoiding hormone-disrupting lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and deodorants because they “smell good”
Start simple and choose one small change you want to make. Then add another change. Before you know it, you will have created a less toxic environment in your home.
Endocrine System
Did you know that there are 10 (11 when pregnant) glands that make up the Endocrine System?
Our endocrine system and hormones support our bodies from conception through old age.
From conception, the placenta acts as an endocrine organ and produces several important hormones through pregnancy.
Here are some more big hitters:
✔️ The Hypothalamus: This is the gland that drives the whole endocrine system by linking our endocrine system with our nervous system.
✔️ The Thyroid: This gland is crucial to healthy development and regulates your metabolism.
✔️ The Adrenals: This gland is actually made up of two glands: the cortex and medulla. These glands produce hormones in response to stress (cortisol) and regulate blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and the body's salt and water balance.
✔️ The Pancreas: The pancreas is responsible for producing glucagon and insulin. These hormones help regulate sugar (glucose) in the blood.
✔️ The Gonads: Ovaries and Testes both produce steroids that affect growth and development and regulate reproductive cycles and behaviors.
What can you do daily to balance your hormones?
The Thyroid is our metabolism driver. 💯
When your Thyroid hormones are unbalanced, this can lead to:
💠 Underactive thyroid
💠 Overactive thyroid
A healthy thyroid is supported by:
👉 Clean whole foods
👉 Getting your H20
👉 Quality sleep each night
👉 Movement
👉 Ditching hormone disruptors (stop spraying perfume on your throat)
Each of these little steps creates consistent payoffs for a healthier thyroid and a healthier you.
Try this blend for Thyroid Support. It can be rolled on morning and night.
💧 20 drops Frankincense
💧 15 drops Myrrh
💧 10 drops Lemongrass
💧 15 drops Clove
In a 10 mL roller ball, add oils and top with carrier oil of choice. I like fractionated coconut oil.
Growth Hormone
The REAL secret to cell turnover is somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH).
HGH is a peptide hormone that stimulates cell growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration (it works while you are 💤), so if you need an excuse to get your “beauty sleep”, this is it!
Growth Hormone is produced by the Pituitary gland and is one of the 🔝 metabolic hormones aiding in weight, health, and fitness by balancing body fat, lean muscle mass, tendon and bone support, and brain function.
What can we do to support fading HGH as we age?
☑️ Eat healthy protein with every meal–think grass fed meats, pastured eggs and chicken, low mercury fish like sardines and salmon
☑️ Hit the sauna
☑️ Exercise– strength training specifically–the more strenuous the better
☑️ Reduce your alcohol intake
Are you noticing a pattern for supporting your hormones naturally?
Are you ready to jumpstart your hormone balancing journey?
5 Ways to Balance your Hormones Naturally
Eat enough protein-protein provides essential amino acids that your body needs for cell turnover and repair
Get physical–-movement that is. Exercise has been known to increase levels of hormones that decrease with age
Take care of your gut health–your gut biome regulates ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and has been known to moderate insulin resistance
Reduce your stress levels–lower the fight or flight response and give those adrenals a much-needed break
Get quality sleep each night–lowers your cortisol levels and increases your HGH
Along with reducing sugar intake, adding fiber, and eating a good amount of healthy fats you are on your way to a better, healthier, balanced body.
How is your nutrition? 🥗
I know if you are anything like me, nutrition can be put on the back burner especially when we are always so busy. Today, the standard diet is not what it used to be. There are many factors in play when it comes to food’s depletion of nutrients in the soil to the increase in consumption of highly processed foods.
Proper nutrition supports your body’s natural hormones and keeps them balanced. We are in luck because dōTERRA has us covered with their supplements, the Lifelong Vitality Pack.
LLV, the foundation to your health and wellness, consists of Alpha CRS®+, Microplex VMz®, and xEO Mega®. The ingredients in these 3 products are designed to ensure you are supporting your cells, getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs as well as supplying the fatty acids necessary to look and feel your best.
💤 Sleep better
🏃♀️ Have more energy
✌️ Feel more balanced
It is no wonder this is one of dōTERRA’s most popular products! Hormone and total body support at its finest.
Essential Oils for Hormones
Rose essential oil is a POWERHOUSE. Skin support, mood, and hormone support.
🌹 Rose has been known to promote a calm and relaxed state of mind. Roll this incredible oil on your abdomen for menstrual discomfort, hormone support, and libido support.
Men can experience a dip in their libido due to stress, weight, and sleep quality. These essential oils have been known to support healthy testosterone levels.
🚀 Clary Sage - balances estrogen production
🚀 Thyme - supports progesterone levels
🚀 Hawaiian Sandalwood - supports testosterone levels
Use these aromatically or topically for maximum support.
Try this roller:
In a 10 mL roller add:
💧 5 drops Thyme
💧 10 drops Hawaiian Sandalwood
💧 5 drops Rosemary
💧 5 drops Clary Sage
Top with FCO and roller on the bottoms of feet 2x a day.
Let’s get deep on you and your hormones (and how we cycle).
A woman’s cycle varies from woman to woman. Some can be as short as 22 days and some can last 35 days. But we all go through the same phases.
🌑 Phase 1 - Menstruation - 3-7 days - low progesterone and estrogen
🌓 Phase 2 - Follicular - averages 16 days - follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen and progesterone start to rise
🌕 Phase 3 - Ovulation - 24 hours - luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone boost
🌗Phase 4 - Luteal - averages 14 days - begin decrease in your progesterone and estrogen (unless you are pregnant)
During each phase, women undergo different surges of different hormones that can make us angry, sad, weepy, frisky, or completely calm. And that’s just the shortlist, all thanks to hormones.
The good news is that we can become more in tune with our own natural cycles and know what we will feel like and when, through cycle tracking. In comparison, men have a 24-hour cycle.
Do you track your cycle? Have you learned a lot about your body and how your hormones make you feel?
Estrogen is naturally produced in the body. Did you know that there are estrogen mimics?
What?!
Estrogen mimics are artificial hormones that have a different chemical structure but behave the same as estrogen biologically. These are found in products we use every single day which cause our bodies to take on more estrogen than what we need and cause an overload.
Where can estrogen mimics be found?
❌ Birth control (uses artificial estrogen)
❌ Parabens in personal products (lotion, shampoo, perfumes, etc)
❌ Plastics (stop storing and cooking your leftovers in plastic, please switch to glass)
❌ Non-stick cookware
The list goes on. We are surrounded by it.
Some essential oils on the other hand can have phytoestrogens that are naturally occurring and support hormone imbalances.
doTERRA’s Phytoestrogen Complex provides supplemental dietary phytoestrogens that help balance and support normal hormone levels.
The next chapter: Menopause.
You have either heard about this part of life, are currently experiencing it, or finally made it past, but this natural part of life can be uncomfortable.
Due to a decrease in estrogen, our bodies undergo:
✖️ Fluctuations in libido
✖️ Hot flashes
✖️ Dryness
✖️ Poor sleep
✖️ Mood swings
Essential oils can support your body through the change. Rose, Geranium, Neroli, Ylang Ylang, Clary sage, Clary Calm, and Whisper are what you need in your arsenal of support.
Hot flashes got you down? Try this quick cooling spray:
In a 4 oz spray bottle combine:
💧 20 drops of Peppermint
💧 10 drops Clary Sage
💧 1 TBL Witch Hazel
Top with distilled water. Shake and spray when you feel them coming on for a refreshing and cooling sensation.
As much as we may not want to admit it, we are all aging. Why not use some products that can help us do so, gracefully and keep us in top form?
As we’ve been discussing, almost all of our bodily functions are controlled by hormones. It is important to be sure that we have a balance of normal hormone levels.
👉 This is where Phytoestrogen Essential Complex comes in!
Phytoestrogen provides supplemental dietary plant-based estrogens that help balance and support normal hormone levels. Pre- and peri-menopausal women take 1 to 2 capsules daily with food or as needed. Post-menopausal women take 2 capsules daily with food.
Along with LLV, Phytoestrogen Essential Complex is a good supplementation to support your body and its hormonal regulations.
Clary Calm is a blend of essential oils that provides a soothing and calming effect during a woman’s menstrual cycle (it’s more than just physical).
This blend is made up of Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa, and Vitex in a 10 ml roller bottle that is ready to go. ClaryCalm provides a cooling effect to the skin and helps balance emotions.
It is also helpful to roll across the stomach during “that time of the month” to alleviate stomach discomfort.
Roll in your hands, cup, and take some deep breaths in to support your emotions during your hormonal waves.
What about Perfume?
You wake and get ready for the day. Your hair is on point and your skin is glowing.
Time for a spritz of your favorite perfume right on your throat, right?
🚨 STOP RIGHT NOW 🚨
🔍 Do you remember what’s located in your throat?
👉 Your thyroid.
🔍 Do you remember what’s in your perfume?
👉 Fragrance.
Fragrance and your thyroid don’t mix. 🙅
Instead, ditch your perfume for pure-fume.
Try using any of the Touch Line florals, Whisper, Balance, and Madagascar Vanilla.
Pure-fume recipe
In a 10 mL Roller add:
💧 15 drops Madagascar Vanilla
💧 10 drops Hawaiian Sandalwood
💧 5 drops of Clary Sage
Top with your carrier oil of choice and you’re good to go! No hormone disruptors in sight!
From time to time, you will see me toss out some info on ditching and switching…and by time to time I mean ALL. 👏 THE. 👏 TIME.
Ridding your home of hormone-disrupting parabens, phthalates, and fragrances is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health next to movement and nourishment.
Download the EWG App and start scanning your home for products that you use daily and start making the switch. Look in your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry to start making the BIGGEST impact.
Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Almost 10% of the population struggle with supporting how the body responds to glucose.
The key hormone to responsible for this is Insulin.
Insulin is produced by the pancreas and regulates blood sugar. Insulin helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells and be used for energy.
What can we do to support our pancreas and insulin? It’s going to sound like a broken record:
👍 Get moving–even if it’s a little each day
👍 Eat whole, unprocessed, foods as much as possible
👍 Take your LLV and PB Assist
👍 Support your body with Cinnamon Bark, Oregano, Coriander, Melissa, and Clove
Having a solid foundation for your health is important.
Healthy Sleep and Hormone Health
Remember when you were little and whoever was in charge would put you down for a nap and you would fight it and flat out refuse to sleep?
As an adult, I would love for someone to tell me to take a nap! 🤣
Sleep is a huge factor in your hormone health. Your body repairs and turns over cells while you sleep. Proper sleep supports your emotional and mental state.
😴 Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
😴 Turn off the screens 1-2 hours before bed
😴 Put your diffuser on 30 minutes prior to bedtime
😴 Stretch before bed
Adrenal Gland Hormones
Ever hear someone say they're experiencing adrenal fatigue?
Your adrenals may need support if you have general fatigue, body aches, head tension, low blood pressure, and just generally feeling run down and overtaxed.
The Adrenal Glands produce hormones that support our metabolism, regulate blood pressure, and respond to stress. Our adrenal medulla produces a hormone called adrenaline and cortisol (our fight or flight response). This is a much-needed hormone for extremely stressful situations.
This can lead to:
❌ Feeling tired all-day
❌ Staying awake all night
❌ Craving junk food
❌ Poor sleep quality
What can we do to support our overtaxed Adrenal Glands?
🐟 Eat fatty fish high in magnesium
🥑 Eat avocados, dark leafy greens, and legumes (all of which are high in magnesium)
☕ (This may be painful for some) Lower your caffeine intake
🛀 Take an Epsom Salt bath (with Adaptiv)
💧 Meditate and relax (use your oils to support this!)
Mood and Your Hormones
Did you know that hormonal imbalances (highs and lows) can affect normal body functions including your mental health and mood fluctuations regarding anxious feelings and feelings of prolonged sadness?
That’s where the Adaptiv System can support your mind and mood.
The Adaptiv system is 3 parts:
🔵 Adaptiv Calming Blend Capsules - Internal
🔵 Adaptiv Calming Blend - Aromatic
🔵 Adaptiv Touch - Topical
Hormone imbalances can be caused by heavy loads of stress. Even though we feel like we can carry it all, it's good to “let it go”.
It’s hard not to stress over things that are out of our control, to combat this we need to be proactive and not let the cortisol go into overdrive.
I love using these oils to support me when I have temporary feelings of overwhelm creeping up:
💧 Frankincense - grounding
💧 Copaiba - chill in a bottle
💧 Serenity - sweet moments of calm
💧 Balance - need I say more?
💧 Wild Orange - sweet, citrus, tranquility
💧 Northern Escape - forest in a bottle
💧 Magnolia - peaceful florals
2 Diffuser Blends for Stress You Need, Right Now!
Liquid Calm
💧 4 drops Balance
💧 4 drops Serenity
Balanced
💧 3 drops Balance
💧 3 drops Wild Orange
💧 2 drops Copaiba
Pop these in your favorite diffuser and meditate or rest. Feel the stress melt away.
Hormones and your teenager
If you don’t have a teenager, you probably remember being one (or if you don’t, ask your parents–they definitely do 😉).
Not only do hormones help your teen’s growing body, they can also cause mood swings, hair growth, weight gain, fatigue, and impulses they’ve never had before.
It’s a cocktail of hormones I’m happy I survived.
What can we do to support our growing (and hormonal) teenagers?
👉 Turn to their oils.
Essential oils are going to support their mind and mood (hello Adaptiv Line), their time of the month (thanks Clary Calm), and give them better rest (Lavender, Cedarwood, Peace, and Serenity).
Hormones and Body Weight
Did you know that your fat cells produce hormones? Leptin is a hormone that is produced by fat cells and secreted into the bloodstream to reduce a person’s appetite (while working with the brain). It also controls how the body stores fat.
What’s crazy about leptin is that because it is produced by fat, people that carry more fat or are classified as obese produce more of it than those of “normal” weight. Despite having higher levels of leptin, those who classify as obese aren’t as sensitive to it. 🤯 The feeling of never being full enough can be chalked up to hormones.
Obesity also can toy with other hormones as well (and certain hormonal diseases can cause obesity–it’s truly a double-edged sword). Your reproductive hormones can tank, libido can take a hit, lower amounts of growth hormone, and insulin resistance to name a few.
👉 The best thing you can give your body is consistency. Take your LLV and PB Assist every single day. Start with just 5 minutes of movement a day, after a week, increase it. Add more protein and whole fruits and veggies first to your plate. Reduce your added sugar intake. Visit with your primary physician and make a plan.
It’s time to detox
You ditched and switched out products. But what about what we still have in our bodies? We are blessed to get a whole new body every 7 years (that is how long it takes for every cell in your body to completely regenerate).
Detoxing allows us to help our body release toxins that have build up. Your detox should be gentle and should not have extreme side effects.
Turn to these oils to start supporting your cleanse:
💧Cilantro - provides powerful cleansing and detoxing properties
💧DDR Prime - whole-cell health and renewal
💧Rosemary - supports organ function
💧Grapefruit - cleansing and detoxing
When we focus on each part of our body, we can more clearly understand how we need to focus on the whole self as everything is connected.
What steps are you taking today to feel better tomorrow?
Give your metabolism a boost
Want to give your metabolism a bit of a boost?
Support your body with these essential oils:
✅ Grapefruit
✅ Peppermint
✅ Cinnamon Bark
✅ Lemon
✅ MetaPWR blend
If you feel a hormonal imbalance (ladies), this blend is for you.
In a 10 mL roller add:
💧 15 drops Clary Sage
💧 10 drops Lavender
💧 5 drops Ylang Ylang
💧 5 drops Geranium
Top with a carrier oil and apply to the lower back, abdomen, and feet.
Use this blend daily for overall hormone support!