Hormones: What they are, how they work, and why you should care
Hormones. There has been so much written about hormones, the mind boggles.
But what are they really? And why has it become so important to ensure your hormones are up to par?
The answer can be complicated, so let’s take it step by step.
The nature of hormones: You ‘make’ them, you ‘use’ them, you ‘get rid of them’. Three important elements in an ongoing, simple cycle.
Simple. Yet complex. Why? Because there are thousands of hormones in your body with a myriad of tasks to carry out.
Hormones are classic multi-taskers
Hormones are, primarily, messengers. They carry information and instructions to every tissue, every organ in your body.
A pregnant example: the brain sends a tiny hormone message to the ovaries to prepare for pregnancy. The ovaries then send a huge hormone message to the breasts and the uterus. The uterus and breasts then secrete ‘a message received’ hormone that travels back to the ovaries and back to the brain. Once this cycle is complete, the liver and kidneys detoxify the hormones and excrete them. Made, used, and eliminated.
But hormones don’t stop there. They are – without doubt – very, very, busy little workers.
They:
- aid in the recovery from injuries and the resistance of diseases
- monitor and manage repair and maintenance of your muscles, bones, blood vessels, skin, and every other system in your body, and
- are responsible for the successful development, normal behavior, and maintenance of natural body processes – including reproduction
Hormones: The Ultimate Symphony Orchestra
Imagine every tissue, every organ in your body sending multiple hormonal messages to every other tissue and organ in your body and getting back multiple messages in return. Your hormonal system is like an orchestra playing a symphony. In fact, it’s the largest orchestra in the world playing the most complex symphony ever written!
But what happens when one of those instruments hits the wrong note? The base player misses his cue? The drummer drops his stick?
The music changes. The harmony disappears. And the whole mood surrounding that orchestra and its symphony deteriorates.
Why Should You Care?
Because that’s exactly what happens to you when your internal symphonic orchestra gets out of synch. Those thousands of hormones in your body don’t always play nice together. And when they don’t, it affects you. How you feel. How you look. How you conduct your daily life.
Hormones are unruly little critters. When they get out of balance, they can create uncomfortable symptoms. Symptoms which can, in turn, cause stress – which itself creates imbalances. Add in a toxic world to the daily traumas, nutrient deficiencies, and the stresses that occur within and without the body, and you could be looking at a system-wide breakdown.
That’s the trouble with hormones. You can’t trust them to always perform their tasks effectively and without interruption. Sometimes they need help.
And no one can do that but you.
It’s your body. Make it the best it can be.