Hormones act as some of the body’s most important chemical messengers, helping to regulate metabolism, sleep, sexual function, reproduction, mood, and behavior. Hormone imbalances can result in everything from fatigue and moodiness to diabetes and weight gain. One of the great benefits of Austin Quan Yin is our ability to work with men and women in Austin, Texas, on the results of their lab work. We utilize testing to see what hormones are off, so we can get to work on rebalancing. Find out what Functional Medicine can do for your hormone health! Book an appointment online today.

When we think of hormones, we are often thinking of sex hormones. In reality though, there are a number of different types of hormones including the sex hormones, thyroid hormones,  adrenal hormones and the master hormones (insulin, cortisol, and adrenaline). Sex and thyroid hormones are chemical messengers that utilize negative feedback loops within the body to stay in balance. Too much and the brain says make less, too little and the brain says make more. 

But this process can break down, causing higher than healthy levels of certain hormones, which then have a negative impact on the immune response and the body’s production of neurotransmitters, and contribute to inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, heart disease, cancers, and depression and anxiety.

Hormone Imbalance Factors

As we mentioned, hormones are greatly affected by stress. But, additionally, genetics, our diet and lifestyle, life stage and the environment play a huge role in the health of our hormones.  The influence of diet on hormones is vast. Perhaps the most serious is the influence of too many refined carbohydrates causing elevated glucose and metabolic syndrome which, in turn, leads to inflammation, elevated blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and sympathetic dominance or more “fight or flight” symptoms – the perfect storm.

One of the biggest disruptors affects the sex hormones of both men and women. Xenoestrogens are man-made chemicals often found in plastics that mimic estrogen in your body, artifically triggering the receptor sites of sex hormones, and impacting, or even permanently altering the negative feedback loops of the different sex hormones. 

Xenoestrogens are one of the primary factors in the worldwide decline in fertility, especially impacting sperm count. Xenoestrogens also have impacts on our sex organs, causing changes in both breast and prostate tissue, and potentially artificially increasing the occurrence of these types of cancers.

Restoring Hormone Balance at Austin Quan Yin

The practitioners at Austin Quan Yin use our Clinical Tools to evaluate your hormones and the factors affecting your hormones. Our goal is to balance your hormones, regulate feedback loops and reduce stressors affecting your hormones using diet and nutritional supplementation, Chinese herbal therapy and acupuncture. Hormones in balance and functioning optimally, brings an individual back into balance by restoring the body/mind/spirit.