Hormones 101

Hormones 101
Progesterone-A steroid hormone made by the ovaries when you ovulate
(release an egg) in the middle of your menstrual cycle. It is also made in smaller
amounts by the adrenal glands. Progesterone’s most important role is to
balance the effects of estrogen. It also maintains a pregnancy and is the
precursor of most other hormones (cortisol, the estrogens and testosterone &
others).
A woman with normal menstrual cycles produces 20 – 30 mg of progesterone
daily from the middle to end of her cycle.
Estrogen: This is the hormone that makes you female, endowing you with
breasts, hips, menstrual periods, soft skin & a higher-pitched voice.
Estrogen serves many purposes but when out of balance with the rest of a
woman’s hormones, it can stimulate out-of-control cell growth, or cancer.
Testosterone: The male hormone, but women also make it in small amounts.
In women, testosterone primarily contributes to sex drive and helps build bones.
Natural/Bio-identical Hormones: A hormone that’s molecular structure is
identical to that made by your body. Arbonne’s Prolief and PhytoProlief fit into
this category.
Synthetic Hormones: Not natural to the body. Natural substances cannot be
patented so the molecular structure is changed so they can be marketed by drug
companies.
Progestins: Synthetic progesterones used in birth control pills and
Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Provera: Most commonly used progestin in HRT.
Premarin: Synthetic estrogen extracted from pregnant horse urine.
PremPro: Most common form of HRT. It is a combination of Premarin &
Provera.
Premenopause: The years between the ages of 30 & 50 when women’s
hormones begin to fluctuate & cause symptoms such as PMS, weight gain,
endometriosis, fibroids, infertility & tender breasts, to name a few.
Perimenopause: The years just before menopause when many women’s
hormones are really fluctuating, causing even greater weight gain, irregular
periods, heavy bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings,
thinning skin, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, fatigue and memory loss.
Note: Often pre & perimenopause are used interchangeably.

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE
Estrogen Effects
Progesterone Effects
Message is to grow & multiply
Breast cell stimulation (fibrocystic breasts)
Increased body fat and weight gain
Salt and fluid retention
Causes depression & headaches
Cyclical migraines
Poor sleep patterns
Interferes with thyroid hormone function
Impairs blood sugar control
Increased risk of blood clots
Decreases sex drive
Reduced oxygen levels in all cells
Causes endometrial cancer
Increased risk of breast cancer
Increased risk of prostate cancer
Restrains bone loss
Triggers autoimmune diseases
Slow growth & mature normally
Protects against breast fibrocysts
Helps use fat for energy
Natural diuretic
Acts as natural anti-depressant
Prevents cyclical migraines
Promotes normal sleep patterns
Facilitates thyroid hormone function
Helps normalize blood sugar levels
Normalizes blood clotting
Restores sex drive
Restores proper cell oxygen levels
Prevents endometrial cancer
Helps prevent breast cancer
Decreased risk of prostate cancer
Stimulates new bone formation
Prevents autoimmune diseases
The list above is not all-inclusive.

Phytoestrogens: Another word for plant estrogen. Can be useful because they
behave like weak-acting estrogens and do occupy estrogen receptors so they
can protect against excess estrogen coming from the environment or from within
the body. Some women have been able to treat menopausal symptoms such as
hot flashes and vaginal dryness with phytoestrogens alone.
Xenoestrogens: Another name for a foreign, man-made estrogen that has toxic
estrogen effects on the human body. Xenoestrogens can be very potent and
toxic and tend to accumulate in the body. Examples are: pesticides, plastics,
acetones (nail polish remover), perfumes, hair sprays, body lotions, industrial
waster products, exhaust, meats, soaps, carpeting, furniture, paneling, solvents
in cleaners and many others. Symptoms of exposure to xenoestrogens include
sinus problems, headaches, dry eyes, asthma & even cold hands and cold feet.
Over time the exposure can cause arthritis, premenopausal symptoms and have
been linked to many cancers.
Estrogen Dominance: This describes a condition where a woman can have
deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but doesn’t have the correct amount of
progesterone to balance its effects in the body. This is the most common form
of hormonal imbalance.
Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance:
• Acceleration of the aging process
• Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, and
possibly Sjoegren's disease
• Breast cancer
• Breast tenderness
• Cervical dysplasia (often leads to hysterectomy)
• Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
• Copper excess
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression with anxiety or agitation
• Dry eyes
• Early onset of menstruation
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs
• Fatigue
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Foggy thinking
• Gallbladder disease
• Hair Loss
• Headaches
• Hot Flashes

• Hypoglycemia
• Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes)
• Infertility
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Magnesium deficiency
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Osteoporosis
• Polycystic ovaries
• Pre-menopausal bone loss
• PMS
• Prostate cancer
• Sluggish metabolism
• Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
• Uterine cancer
• Uterine fibroids
• Water retention, bloating
• Zinc deficiency
How to Balance your Hormones Holistically:
Focus on your diet:
• Limit refined and highly processed foods. Instead, eat fruits, vegetables
and whole grains. Vegetables contain phyto-chemicals and have many
health supporting effects on the body.
• Kick the sugar habit.
• Drink 8-10 glasses of purified water. Avoid drinking 30 minutes before
and after a meal. Water dilutes your enzymes which break down your
food for nutrition to the cells.
• When possible, buy organic. Organic foods are a key in hormone
balance. They are void of heribicides, pesticides & chemical fertilizers.
Organic meat and dairy products contain no antibiotics or hormones.
• Take a high quality supplement with anti-oxidants since they help
counteract xenoestrogens. Look for cold-pressured and those that
dissolve quickly.
• Eat a high fiber diet. Fiber works as a broom and sweeps toxins
(xenoestrogens from the colon). Fiber binds to toxins like unbound
estrogens and eliminates them from the body so they aren’t reabsorbed.
Lower your stress. Stress depletes our progesterone stores and cause
estrogen to dominate.

Exercise. Not only does exercise minimize stress but it also minimizes body
fat which is a known storehouse for estrogen in our body.
Use natural hormonal supplements. Supplementing with natural
progesterone helps counteract harmful estrogenic effects and replenishes
depleted progesterone stores. Both of these help improve and prevent
estrogen dominance.
Be a label reader & be aware of xenoestrogens. Many of our personal
care & cosmetic products contain synthetic fragrances and petroleum
products which are absorbed by our bodies. Room deodorizers, plastics,
cleaners and many every day products contain harmful estrogenic
compounds.
Tidbits:
The World Health Organization, recommends testing saliva levels, not blood
serum levels for active hormone levels.
Average age of menopause is 50.
Menopause is NOT a disease state. Most of the “symptoms” of menopause are
actually symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
Just a few years ago, most women over 50 were placed on hormone
replacement therapy or HRT. This practice slowed down the results of the
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) were released and showed that conventional
HRT can significantly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer
thus suggesting HRT could be dangerous. The WHI was stopped after only 5
years because of these results.
There are no known side effects of natural progesterone when taken at the 20
milligram a day dose.

Resources:
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause: Balance Your
Hormones and Your Life From Thirty to Fifty, Dr. John Lee, MD et al
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book
on Natural Hormone Balance, Dr. John Lee, MD et al
The Estrogen Alternative: Natural Hormone Therapy with Botanical
Progesterone, Raquel Martin with Judi Gerstung, DC
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone
Balance Can Help Save Your Life, Dr. John Lee, MD et al
Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones, Sherill
Selman
Dr. John Lee’s Hormone Balance Made Simple: The Essential How-to Guide to
Symptoms, Dosage, Timing, and More, Dr. John Lee, MD with Virginia Hopkins
Hormone Balance: A Matter of Life and Health, Kristine Klitzke, RN, BSN
These materials have been compiled by and Arbonne Independent
Consultant and are NOT OFFICIAL materials prepared or provided by
Arbonne International, LLD. This is not intended to be a medical
recommendation. The products offered on Arbonne.com are not offered
for diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease or
disorder nor have any statements herein been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA). We strongly encouraged our customers to
discuss topics of concern with their health care professionals.