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Do you feel like doing it all is wearing your body down? And you know somehow that hormones play a part in that, but it feels like too deep an issue?
Today I’m talking to Dr. Heather Rhodes about stress, women’s hormones, and how to manage them in the middle of your busy mom life.
People Don’t Want Meds To Fix Their Problems
Most people would prefer to have the tools to fix chronic body issues (disease, weight loss, etc.), but they don’t know where to find them, so they rely on things like birth control, diet, and exercise to regulate their body functioning.
So after her own struggle with disordered eating and fertility, Heather dove into the research, so she could provide the tools for herself and other women who are ready to take back control of their health journeys.
Women Are Not Small Men
Women weren’t even included in clinical trials until about the 1980s, and even then women were only allowed in during during certain parts of their cycle or if they were regulated by birth control, so the percentage of women included was really low.
Because for a long time there was a strong assumption in the medical community that female data could be extrapolated from male data, just in a smaller amount.
But it’s our cycle and the fact that we have babies that sets us apart.
Women’s Innately Have A Desire To Do All The Things
We were created to nurture. Women’s hormones and cycles were intended to carry on the human race, so even if you aren’t particularly warm and fuzzy or a people person, your biological design is to take care of the young and nurse and provide what others need.
That desire comes with more than just a busy life, it also comes with emotion and a strong pull to care well and love people big. And when you combine that with our society’s Pinterest perfect standards, you end up with the message that women have to fight harder to keep up and measure up.
Is It Possible For Busy Moms to Achieve Hormone Balance?
It is possible to achieve hormone balance after having babies, a lifetime of birth control, and the stress of mom life, but it doesn’t come without some form of living differently.
You have to live very intentionally. To choose every day to set hard boundaries. And to value how you feel, how you perform, and how you show up more than convenience, comfort, and instant gratification.
It doesn’t have to be hard, it just has to be consistent.
Dr. Heather rhodes
Are you willing to surrender 4 hours of survivor at night to prioritize sleep? Are you willing to surrender people’s opinions of of me working and hiring a babysitter to alleviate some stress? There’s a trade off.
You don’t have to give up everything and hate the food you eat. You just have to choose to be intentional.
What Does Taking Care of Yourself Look Like
For moms, it helps to think about taking care of yourself the way you’d take care of your kids. Would you let your kid go until 3:00 without eating? Probably not. Would you let your kid have unlimited screen time in every spare second just because it’s numbing and gives them an escape? Probably not.
Ask yourself, do I actually take care of myself in the way that I would take care of other people?
Don’t Mistake What Looks Good For What Is Good
Self-care doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it starts with knowing what is good for you rather than what feels good. So often we mistake something like a spa day for nurturing our bodies. And while this does help our mental state, and helps us feel better, it’s not a long term solution to stress or imbalanced hormones.
When we make super small changes over time, like choosing a book before bed rather a screen, it will add up to better overall health. Because every good choice you make leads to another and another.
Small changes don’t always look big and flashy like weight loss, but when you change one thing your diet, you might find that out have a little more energy. And each new pattern adds to more energy, more focus, and feeling better.
Your Body Wants To Be In Balance
Women’s hormones want to be in balance, and usually there are just a few key things that are keeping you from it. Once you pinpoint those and start making changes, you don’t have to constantly be doing things to increase and decrease your hormone levels.
You simply have to keep giving your body the signal that it’s safe. That you’re not going to run it into the ground. That you’re not going to take away all the nutrients and in return energy.
The two biggest reasons that Heather sees for hormone imbalance are crazy high stress hormones, and eating too little while exercising too much, and depriving your body of what it needs to make the hormones. And your body is simply waiting for you to give it what it needs to be in balance.
Where Do You Go To Get The Right Information For Your Body
The very first step is to be your own advocate. If you aren’t getting the answers you need from your providers, go elsewhere. You may need to integrate holistic practitioners into your healthcare team.
And also making sure you have a healthcare team. You may have an OB, family doc, a nutritionist, and a naturopathic doctor. But you are also a part of that team.
You know your body better than anyone else. You gather the information you need, and you become the expert on your health. That way no matter who comes along beside you, you are the most educated person about you.
And at the end of the day, no matter what diagnosis you end up with, you can still treat the symptoms in natural, non-medical ways by making lifestyle changes to treat the problems. At worst they don’t help, and at best they make a huge difference. Like, you have nothing to lose by eliminating gluten, but you could have a lot to gain.
More From Dr. Heather Rhodes
Hit play to hear my full conversation with Dr. Heather Rhodes about stress and hormone balance.
Dr. Heather Rhodes is a holistic pharmacist with a passion for women’s health. She makes understanding your hormones simple and teaches you practical steps for maintaining hormone balance. Her natural approach to healing creates lasting results and symptom relief specifically for PCOS, PMS, Acne, and Fertility. She’s a cross fit instructor, ice cream addict, toddler mom, and adoption advocate!
Instagram: @drheatherrhodes
Website: www.drheatherrhodes.com
Freebie Link!: https://www.drheatherrhodes.com/just-for-you
Resources we talked about in this episode…
Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women by Nieca Goldberg
Beginner’s Guide to Purposeful Motherhood
Freebie ALERT!
Unbusy Your Mom Life!
Hey mama, I see you – hustling hard. Doing all.the.things. But mom life doesn’t have to be ruled by your to-do list. Let me show you how to Take Back Your Time with my FREE toolkit!
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