“So what is a hormone?”
When Dr. Carrie Jones heard her own mother ask this question, she thought, “That’s it, I have failed. My mom doesn’t even know what a hormone is!”
Dr. Jones is a certified Endocrinologist who wants people to understand what hormones are, what is normal and what isn’t, and how to get help if needed.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- That hormone “balance” does not mean flatline. Find your rhythm!
- What part cholesterol plays in our hormones
- What in the world a “dry urine test” is
- What messes up our energy production
- How to get off the wrong health path
“If people are empowered with knowledge, then they are only going to get healthier and better.”
So, what is a hormone? Hormones are messengers, just messengers. A hormone gets released from a gland in our bodies, such as Thyroid or Adrenal glands. That messenger goes out and binds to receptors and tells them to do things, just “do the thing.”
Sex hormones are Testosterone and Estrogen, and the big stress hormone is Cortisol. As an example, men and women both make testosterone, but men only make it in one place (the testicles) while women make it in the ovaries, adrenal glands and fat tissue.
Cortisol is a stress hormone (and a steroid hormone, along with some others) and it is made in the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys in both men and women. So Cortisol has a similar “how” process in men and women, but testosterone differs greatly – simply because of where it is produced.
Important: Hormone Testing
If a man or woman wants to get tested for hormone-related issues, it’s important to remember a few things about the day and time of testing.
First, for women, they really need to know where they were in their cycle on the day of testing. Of course, this doesn’t apply to women in or post menopause.
For men wanting to see their testosterone levels, they need to get tested as early in the morning as possible. That’s when testosterone peaks. If the lab opens at 6:30, by golly get there early!
As long as you are making the effort, the results should be as accurate as possible. Dr. Carrie Jones says, “I mean I’m good, but I’m not crystal ball good!”
Links Mentioned
Dr. Carrie Jones WANTS to help you be healthy. You can follow her on Instagram at:
Dr. Carrie Jones Bio
Dr. Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who is board certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE) with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) having over 15 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine. I have been the Medical Director for two large integrative clinics in Portland, Oregon and am currently the Medical Director for Precision Analytical Inc, creators of the most cutting edge hormone test on the market, the DUTCH Test.
What do I really do? I help hormonally challenged people feel less crazy. I do this primarily through real talk education, sarcasm, funny analogies and the occasional swear word. I’m a modern doc with a holistic bent who can appreciate the best of both worlds.
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