Menopause Matters: Kate Wells
Hormonally healthy…. As I sit down to write my very first Kuel Life article, there are so many ideas that come to mind on this topic.
I have been working in the field of hormone testing and product formulation for a long time and I’ve learned a lot! I didn’t set out to be a menopause expert, but here I am.
Critical Things Women Can Do To Keep Hormonally Healthy:
What’s exceedingly clear is this: 1) we don’t come with a manual, 2) the information we get from health practitioners tends to fall far short of what we need to navigate this amazing part of our lives successfully.
If I could clone myself, I would put one of me on every corner to hand out “What You Need to Know” flyers to every woman over forty who walked by.
“Know your numbers! Get your hormones tested regularly..”
There are some critical things women can do to stay hormonally healthy
1. Learn About Your Hormones:
We don’t get taught about the hormones raging around our bodies in school or by our family, so find a reliable, reputable source of information and start building your personalized hormone manual. Once you understand your body better you can feel more comfortable expecting more from your doctor when you ask for help.
2. Stop Thinking You Can Do Everything:
The stress of being everything to everyone builds up cumulatively, draining your adrenal glands of cortisol. When this happens, your other hormones can dysfunction. Eventually, you can find yourself with can’t-get-off-the-sofa syndrome and it can take years to rebuild your health.
3. Learn To Recognize Symptoms:
Clusters of symptoms change at different stages of your life. The group of symptoms associated with PMS are different from the symptoms related to perimenopause which are different post menopause. Be your own advocate for hormone supplementation that balances your body and brain.
4. Hormones Are For Life:
Just because women have concluded the reproductive phase of their lives, does not mean they are done with hormones. Women can live 35 to 40 years after menopause.
Hormones are used for so many functions outside of reproduction and yet the lack of these hormones post-menopause leads to a new set of often silent symptoms, such as bone loss, loss of motivation, and memory changes.
Know your numbers! Get your hormones tested regularly, don’t wait until you have more symptoms than can fit on a sheet of legal paper. Saliva hormone testing is particularly effective at measuring what hormones you do have available, so you know what you need to adjust.
5. Be Hormonally Healthy, Kick Sugar:
Eat the sweet things as rare treats. We are not meant to eat so much sugar and it influences insulin levels, your sex hormone levels, your ability to handle stress, and inflammation, as well as how you manage your weight and get reliable restful sleep.
“Just because we can say yes to things doesn’t mean we should say yes to all things”
6. Put Yourself First:
Many women find it natural to be helpful, to contribute, to say yes to demands on their time. Just because we can say yes to things doesn’t mean we should say yes to all things. Pick the top things that bring you joy and the rest, learn to say, “thank you for asking, at this time, I will decline”. No need to explain this – just politely decline. I am finally working out how to do this myself!
7. Be Informed About Estrogen:
While breast cancer is certainly an issue for women to be aware of, the greatest factors that influence breast cancer are not bioidentical estrogen use. Far greater risk factors include stress, alcohol use, tobacco use, toxins in our food, water, and atmosphere, poor sleep, toxic relationships, hate, too many carbohydrates, long-term inflammation, and loneliness.
8. Love On Your Liver:
The liver is the most amazing organ – it’s your constant spring cleaning mechanism that works to clear up all the toxins and toxicants in your body. Making sure this precious organ is functioning well helps the rest of your body to work and be free of damage. Drinking 8-10 glasses of clean filtered water daily goes a long way to allowing your liver to work well. You wouldn’t try to clean your kitchen armed with a bucket of swamp water.
Oh – I could go on about staying hormonally healthy – but will stop there. I can’t wait to share more of the science of menopause with you all and I am looking forward to ongoing conversations about how women can help other women be healthy, strong, and vibrant throughout their lives. This is such Kuel stuff!
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About the Author:
Kate Wells is a hormone expert and true biochem nerd who has been educating practitioners about hormones for many years. Starting out as a High School science teacher, and then pivoting to the business world, Kate new she wanted to combine her passions for science and business and found the perfect match in leadership roles at labs specializing in hormone testing and hormone formulation.
She currently runs her own bioidentical hormone product companies where she writes educational articles and continues to educate practitioners on the role of hormones in optimal longevity. Beyond nerding-out on the latest research, Kate is an avid hiker, regularly putting in 20-mile hikes in the beautiful wilds of Colorado, loves to build stuff, swing dance, and work with fabric to make colorful quilts. Kate is the author of A Forecast for Health and is the CEO and co-founder of Parlor Games LLC. Kate holds a BS, MBA, and has completed a Fellowship in Herbal Medicine.
