Glam Girl Bikini Presents: Progesterone

Do you suffer from:Insomnia or sleep disturbance, low libido, mood changes, anxiety and irritability, headaches and migraines, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles? If so, these could be signs you have low progesterone. In this episode bikini coaches @chrisnicole_ifbbpro and @amyehinger address ways to increase progesterone naturally. To start, what is progesterone? Progesterone is a female sex hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy. Progesterone is the main hormone of the luteal phase which begins following ovulation (around day 14 of your cycle). The drop in progesterone (and estrogen) at the end of your luteal phase triggers the beginning of your cycle. Reasons you might have low progesterone 1. Stress Your body will always choose survival over procreation. This means you will preferentially make cortisol over progesterone when exposed to chronic stress. Pregnenolone, which I like to think of as the “mama hormone” gives birth to both progesterone and cortisol, as well as other hormones. In times of stress, pregnenolone will be shunted to make cortisol at the expense of progesterone. This is what is known as the “pregnenolone steal.” In addition, cortisol blocks progesterone receptors, which means that you can not efficiently use the progesterone you are making.  2. Hypothyroidism Remember pregnenolone?  To even make the molecule you need to create progesterone you must first have adequate thyroid hormone.  3. PCOS Rises in testosterone mean lower levels of progesterone. Making sure you’re producing adequate progesterone is essential in order to ovulate. Without ovulation, not only is it difficult for your body to adequately clear the uterine lining during menses, but it’s impossible to get pregnant. And it’s important to understand that even if you’re having a period, it doesn’t mean you’re ovulating!  4. Age After age 35, there is an inevitable decline in progesterone.  5. Elevated prolactin Prolactin is the hormone that triggers lactation but can rise in non-lactating women as well. This is a pro