I frequently see clients with both digestive problems and hormonal imbalances and this is no coincidence.

Firstly, let’s be clear on what I’m talking about. By digestive problems I mean anything from upper digestive issues, like acid reflux and heartburn, to lower digestive issues like constipation, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome.

And by hormonal imbalances, I mean too much or not enough oestrogens, testosterone, progesterone, leading to symptoms like mood swings, low mood, depression, acne/ pimples, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, and premenstrual syndrome symptoms like bloating, painful breasts, backache, headaches, mood disturbances, sweet cravings etc.

So how are they linked?

Your body produces hormones, uses them, and then gets rid of them. You need to get rid of them otherwise you end up with too many hormones, leading to unpleasant hormonal symptoms.

You eliminate them via the digestive tract. When there are digestive irregularities, movement of waste through the digestive tract can be disturbed and, consequently, spends longer periods of time in certain parts of the tract. This can lead to hormones and other toxins being reabsorbed into circulation, again leading to hormone imbalance.

This means that if you experience any digestive disturbances or if you have a bowel movement less than once daily, and you also experience hormonal symptoms, you may benefit from addressing you digestive health first.

Hormonal imbalances also can be caused by: underproduction of hormones due to nutrient deficiencies, hormone disruptors like caffeine, alcohol, pesticides and other toxins, and/ or sluggish liver function. All of the above can be remedied with an appropriate nutrition intervention.

As a registered nutritional therapist I’ll help you heal and manage your digestive issues so that you can experience a better quality of life. I do this by identifying the underlying causes of your symptoms and using diet and supplements to restore balance.