Dr. Melinda Silva has been a board certified family physician for 16 years. She’s done a two-year fellowship in functional medicine with an endocrinology focus and is now a regenerative medicine specialist.
When we hit a certain age, be it 35 or 40, our hormone levels can get depleted. Whether that is from having children, a busy career, a series of stressful relationships or events, or all of the above, the repercussions dramatically affect our lives.
We begin to have lower quality sleep, our energy is not what it used to be, motivation seems hard to come by, and stamina and libido are no longer present. We may feel a little depressed and perhaps also anxious, and we wonder to ourselves, is this what life will be like going forward?
While many primary care doctors might answer this call with Prozac and sleeping pills, a much better, more holistic solution is to get your hormones balanced with a little help from bio-identical plant-based hormones that are customized precisely to your needs.
Dr. Melinda Silva talks about the major hormone fluctuations that begin to happen between the ages of 35 and 40 and the ones that continue to progress after age 40.
She explains why weight and metabolism change, why we get more cellulite, and how we can troubleshoot both by balancing our four key hormones: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormone.
Here are other fascinating things we discuss that you should know about before you start interviewing endocrinologists or functional medicine doctors to help you balance your hormones.
- Which Hormones Affect Perimenopause and Menopause
- How to Get Rid of the After 40 “Belly Bulge”
- The Connection between Low Testosterone and Osteoporosis
- Synthetic vs. Plant-Based Hormones
- How to Customize a Dose for Yourself – Finding your Physiologic Dose
- What Questions to Ask Your Endocrinologist or Functional Medicine Doctor
I love how Dr. Silva explains in simple terms that we need to use plant-based hormones because they are chemically identical to what our body makes whereas synthetics don’t look anything like the hormones our body makes and have been shown to increase a person’s risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
It’s important to educate yourself on things like this so you don’t end up going to a doctor that doesn’t the know the difference between synthetic vs. bio-identical (plant-based) hormones or a doctor who cannot highly personalize the bio-identicals.
Dr. Silva also advises us to be aware of the ever present and growing environmental influences that cause estrogen dominance. This is why we need to be quite careful about the personal care products that go on our body as well as putting only organic, high-quality food in our bodies – and increasing our consumption of plants.
She explains the role of low progesterone in sleep problems as well as anxiety. Low progesterone can also make someone quick to anger and make cellulite more prominent.
Thyroid hormones control so much from our weight to our temperature to the pace of our bowel movements. It is so important to understand and balance your thyroid several times annually.
We spend a lot of time talking about testosterone because so many women are low in it, yet they don’t get help to balance it. When our testosterone is low, we lack motivation for life, our drive and creativity simply aren’t there, and our sex drive goes out the window.
Often years of taking birth control can deplete testosterone, as can stressful life events. When our testosterone is low, we don't have the drive to exercise or do the things that keep us feeling healthy and connected. Another motivation to check and replenish your testosterone is to keep your brain sharp and healthy. We have testosterone receptors in our brain so having enough can help prevent dementia.
Dr. Silva recommends getting tested twice a year to adjust your dosage because hormones are so dynamic and levels can change based on life factors.
Just as hormone replacement therapy is a seed that can help us grow good health, we are tasked with the responsibility to create fertile soil for that seed to flourish. Building healthy soil is having a foundation of good exercise, good nutrition, and good sleep.
Please tell us about your hormonal journey in the comments below. What symptoms do you struggle with? How did you overcome them?
I have had a very difficult time trying to balance my hormones. I get side effects like water retention from even the tiniest dose of bio identical testosterone cream for example. No one can tell me why. It’s so frustrating. Any suggestions? I’m on estrogen and using progesterone cream but those levels could still be higher according to the DUTCH but again I get side effects if I try
Hi Katie – Sorry to hear that you struggling with bio-identical therapy. You may find that consuming foods high in nutrients which can boost progesterone to be a more supportive way to balance your hormones. 🙂
I have been on bio-hormones for now 3 years it changed my life for the best after the first 3 months somehow my testosterone levels flew thru the roof went from original 1 to at one point 1600 (1600 in late winter 2017)! At this point it has ruined my life, my sex drive went from doing good to now feeling feelings for not my husband, growing black hair in places no women should have hair, my voice is so deep and I am so tired of people asking me if I am sick, what’s wrong with your voice( I jokingly say my balls dropped )I have been off the testosterone now for a number of months my levels are still high now just into the high 300 I still have the voice, the hair, but now I just feel dead inside. I am so sad, I cry every morning that I have to deal with another day. I am not sure if I should just stop them all together. The good thing I get from them is I can sleep. That’s it.
Hi Cory – I am very sorry to hear about your struggle the last few years, if you have not already, I highly recommend seeking out a functional medicine nutritionist and/or MD who can properly test your hormone levels. Feel free to email us if you need a referral – [email protected]
Yes that is who and how I have been on them, she feels bad, like she had something to do with why my levels of testosterone zoomed clear up to 1600. She said she has created a boy. No one knows why this happened but it did and I got the crap end of the deal. Oh well huh.
This sounds like my life! For several years after my oophorectomy, my weight, drive, blood work, etc, were perfect by just taking a low dose of estradiol for part of the month. Then the BHRT mill trend took over, and I was put on shots, then pellets, then creams. I gained 35 pounds, have no energy, and my memory is shot now. Doctors don’t care. The only solution is another trend, another test, another lie.
Hi H- Not sure if you have checked out an integrative practitioner, but I would highly recommend a functional or integrative practitioner who can help you reset and balance your body! Wishing you all the best.
The dominate problem is falling asleep. I have used Tryptophan, Valerian, and CALM. Sometimes I am so exhausted, I fall asleep and then need a nap. Have experienced depression because I am tired. Also, am taking Strontium and some calcium at different times of the day for countering osteoporosis as I have small bones. Sometimes I wear light weights on my wrists. I do have verticle lines on the skin above my upper lip and have been taking GAIA Thyroid Support. Have exercises to help the thyroid, but it is hard to do them in the morning right away. The exercises are from The Natural Way to Have Healthy Hair. Have been loosing more hair. Do you recommend I go to a naturalistic specialist in the Phoenix area? I am 64.
Hi Susan, Yes – going to a specialist is a great idea, we would recommend running a FULL thyroid panel as well as a micronutrient test to check for any nutrient deficiencies which are common in osteoporosis!
What about Breast Cancer Survivors? What are we suppose to do?
Hi Mary, please check out Christa’s blogs here:
https://thewholejourney.com/4-ways-to-naturally-detoxify-the-breasts/
https://thewholejourney.com/4-ways-to-naturally-detoxify-the-breasts/
I started bio-identical hormonal therapy three months ago after starting to develop anxiety and depression. can definitely say they have changed my life for the best. I had the dutch test done and I had a significant hormonal imbalance, now that I am working on balancing them out I feel better than in a long time. No more joint pain, no more headaches and I’m rocking this candida program! Thank you Christa for all the information you provide us with!
Is there a way to regulate hormones with diet and avoid any hormonal therapy either natural or synthetic?Isn’t better to try to regulate hormones more naturally instead of replacing them in an artificial way?
What type of lab testing does she recommend? So many doctors and NPs are using the saliva tests but I’ve heard that is inaccurate. Does Dr. Silva recommend blood tests or saliva?
Excellent question! I wanted to ask the same thing. I have heard of a new test called the DUTCH test and was wondering what your thoughts are on that Christa?
Hi Amy, I haven’t run the DUTCH test yet but some of my colleagues are using it with great success and love it, namely Marc Sklar talks about it in our recent show: http://thewholejourney.com/fsh-lh-dhea-and-a-new-hormone-test/ – Just from my research, it seems comprehensive, full spectrum and accurate.
Hi Raquel, I would imagine she runs the hormones in blood like most MDs. Am not sure, per Amy’s question, if she is running the DUTCH test yet, but I’d suggest calling her office and asking these questions.
Great information Christa How do I find a hormone doctor in my area that specializes in natural hormones I am currently living in Middletown New York
Hey Denise! You can start by searching on the Institute for Functional Medicine’s website. https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
This was such an informative interview and I was so excited to hear her methodical approach. However, when I called her office and heard her price ($400 initial visit, $225 thereafter) I quickly became upset.
What is it with Fumctional practitioners charging astronomical prices? They always say how much they want to help people and then they are more expensive than a nuero surgeons consultation. Really people? Obviously, they all want to get rich. Very disappointing… Especially since sick and struggling people don’t have an income or its being threatened by their illness
So, back to the doctors that throw hormones at me and as usual, I’ll have to be my own practitioner.
Hi Sandra, being that most FM practitioners are in private practice, that is actually a very good rate for a highly effective, caring practitioner with 20 years of practice experience. I do, however remember talking to Melinda after the show and her telling me she offers a sliding scale so you might want to inquire about that. Understand you’re disappointed at the prices, but having been a FM practitioner with a long wait list, I don’t think it’s fair for you to say that obviously all they want is to get rich just because they are charging a wage that is commensurate with their skill set and one that allows them to continue to deliver high quality work and still be able to afford all the support staff and overhead that goes with that. From my understanding, you can run your own DUTCH test online and they teach you how to interpret it. Hope this helps and that you get what you need to feel better. We can all hope that at some point, mainstream medicine will move to this kind of necessary offering and it will be covered by insurance so that none of us feel that our wellness is being held hostage.
Thanks, Dr. Silva, Christa, and Randy, for this informative interview. I am not in a position to go to a doctor or pay for hormone treatment. I would like to know what food sources you recommend to boost testosterone and progesterone in women. Thanks for your thoughts about this.
Hi Jen, great questions. I have not yet put together a Food as Medicine blog on those but here are a few good ones out there that tell you the nutrients you need to increase to get your body to start building both. http://blog.ayda.co/hormonal-health/naturally-increase-low-progesterone-levels/ and http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/testosterone-boosting-food#6 Can’t say I’m on the low fat milk or cereal however from the testosterone recommedations, but I can certainly back up Vitamin D and shellfish, especially oysters.
Hi Jen – try these two blogs for food sources that replenish the vitamins that helps make the hormones (sans the cereal and milk from the testosterone blog)>http://blog.ayda.co/hormonal-health/naturally-increase-low-progesterone-levels/ http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/testosterone-boosting-food
Thanks so much for your suggestions, Christa. I will check them out. Best wishes to you and yours for the holidays! Jen
I thought menopause wasn’t going to be so bad, I was 2 years into it and thought it was an easy transition for me. Then I suddenly crashed. I couldn’t sleep and had anxiety that was from nowhere. My doctor started me on bio-identical hormones and within a few months I felt good again.
The only problem I had was with my hair. It seemed to be thinning and receding in front on the sides like a man. At first I thought it was my imagination, but after 6 months it was obvious. I stopped the testosterone and continued the other 2 and the receding hair stopped. However, it never grew back.
I feel great and after 3 years now I consistently sleep better than ever. Do you have any ideas for getting my hair to grow back? It would be really nice to be able to pull my hair back again.
Thanks for all the great information.
I was just reading yesterday that caster oil is amazing for that as well as eyebrows.There are quite a few articles about it.I’m going to try.?
Interesting, Amber! Please keep us posted and share those articles.
Hi Karen, so glad you’re feeling better. The hair thing, however is so tough. Sorry you’re going through that. Outside of adding additional iron and B vitamins to your supplement regimen as well as silica, I might like look into Amber’s suggestion below as well as some pure hair products built for hair regrowth.
Hi, Karen — You could try rosemary essential oil. It’s in a lot of skin/hair care products but it’s easy to mix your own. You would make a 2.5% dilution (3 drops rosemary EO to every 100 drops of jojoba or other carrier oil). You could try the castor oil Amber recommends as a carrier. To use, massage a little into your scalp. Best wishes! Jen
Christa,
Thank you very much for sharing this amazing information. Pretty much every single symptom you and Dr Silva spoke about I have it. Needless to say I’m contacting Dr Silva straight away. I’m so grateful for you, your team, GT5 and the amount of knowledge I’m getting from all of you.
Thank you, Viviana. I’m so glad our work and the content we share is helpful for you! I want to see you alleviate all of those symptoms!