Many people don't realize just how much hormones affect the way we feel and how our bodies function.

Hormones control so many functions!

You've probably heard of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Hormones also control how quickly we burn calories, our libido, acne, hair loss, weight, moods and much more.

A hormone imbalance can lead to symptoms that feel like depression (or real depression), iron or other deficiencies, exhaustion and poor health.

We need the right balance to function properly.

A loose analogy would be putting the wrong type of oil and gas into your vehicle. It might run, but poorly, so you might not realize what the problem is.

Many people have heard that thyroid imbalance can cause weight gain and other problems. 

So, let's go over two other imbalances that you might not be aware of.

Adrenal Imbalance

We have two adrenal glands. The adrenal cortex releases hormones that are necessary for us to live. 

The adrenal medulla releases hormones that are not essential, but they're still important and affect our health.

The following are symptoms for both an insufficiency as well as an excess of hormones secreted by either of the adrenal glands.

If you find that you have five or more of the symptoms on wither list, it's possible that your adrenal glands are not functioning as they should.

Adrenal Hormone Insufficiency

• Exhaustion no matter how much sleep you get
• Burn out
• You use stimulants to stay awake
• You feel negative most of the time
• You feel irrational
• You have bouts of crying over things you wouldn't normally cry over
• You feel emotionally fragile
• Low blood pressure
• You feel dizzy if you stand up from lying down
• Frequent infections or illness
• Low blood sugar
• Crave salty foods
• Nausea
• Diarrhea, constipation or alternating between the two
• Insomnia or having troubles staying asleep
• Waking in the early hours in the morning

Adrenal Hormone Excess

• Struggle to get to sleep even though you're tired
• Crave sugar, particularly after a meal
• Carry extra weight around your midsection/abdomen
• Feel bloated
• Eczema, thin skin or other skin condition
• Feeling like your heart is racing
• High blood pressure
• Shakiness between meals
• Reflux
• Pink or purple stretch marks on your belly or back
• Irregular menstral cycles
• Often anxious
• Irritability or just don't feel like yourself
• Trouble getting pregnant
• Crave carbohydrates

As you can see, hormones can completely change the way you feel.

Estrogen Hormone Imbalance

Estrogen hormones might not be what you first think about.

The side effects of this kind of imbalance include acne persisting far after puberty, mood swings, facial hair and a swollen tummy.

The symptoms are more physical and visual with this hormonal imbalance and they can affect your fertility.

Symptoms of Excessive Estrogen: 

• Abdominal bloating
• Swollen and/or tender breasts
• Low libido
• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Headaches
• Mood swings
• Fibrocystic breasts (lumpy breasts)
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Cold hand or feet
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping or insomnia
• Forgetfulness
• Anxiety of irritability
• Difficulty getting pregnant

If you find that you are experiencing a number of these symptoms, it's time to get check.

Luckily, we have been managing our hormones naturally with herbs for millennia. Balancing everything out will make you look and feel good again.