Is this the missing piece of the puzzle?

Hormone imbalances aren't just your period hormones.

I think from this place I’m just gonna go into a bit of a deep dive about your stress hormones.

They literally affect everything and are core hormones, if you like. You need them, they get you going, out of danger and give you an edge. It's all just got a bit maladaptive, and it’s also highly addictive - hello parkour! Incidentally love watching folks do this, but I’m constantly worried for their joints. I digress, but there is so much going on in you body, it is amazing at how it balances the cheque book (I need better cultural references) each minute hour day year but this comes at a cost to you eventually.

How nerdy you want me to go on this I will let you decide, I do really want to hear about what you would like me to tell you. Otherwise you really are just strapping in for the chaos of my inner mind, it will be fun, but probably not that useful to you!

I absolutely love biology and the workings of the body, I think I have done A&P (Anatomy and Physiology) about 7 times with the various courses I have done over the years. People say I must be tired of it but I’m like hell no, it's so interesting.

Ready? Here’s the science bit: Adrenaline, AKA epinephrine - although no one outside of medicine really calls it this - is a hormone and a neurotransmitter (remember this). It comes from the adrenal glands that sit on top of your kidneys. Cortisol is another hormone secreted from the adrenals. Cortisol is a steroid hormone, which means it is a steroid that acts like a hormone. This is one to remember too because this is where there is a direct link to our period hormones which are also steroid hormones.

Adrenaline acts more like a hormone than a neurotransmitter - but the fact that it is a neurotransmitter is important to the picture because there is growing evidence that neurotransmitters play a pivotal role with our emotions. The steroid part of the cortisol is worth a mention because the steroid role is that of our sex hormones and corticosteroids which play a part in inflammation.

What to take away from these two partners in crime is that Adrenaline is your quick acting ‘fucking hell we need to get out of here now’ and Cortisol is the one that steps in after the initial rush of adrenaline fades and PUSHES YOU THROUGH. Pushing through is a phrase I am 100% confident my audience use on a daily basis. "I’ll just get through this, I’ll just get through that and THEN I’ll address my frazzled hormones," without really paying attention to the fact their hormones are FRAZZLED because they are not stopping.

In reality I know we can’t lie back and be fed grapes on a chaise longue - and actually the fantasy of escaping and doing absolutely nothing is your body telling you that you are dysregulated. We can’t stop everyday stress like forgetting our wallet after we have hiked up to the high street, but how we cope with that inconvenience is a key part of the puzzle. If you have the band width of a fag paper for added stress - you need to take stock, and I will bet my entire sequin wardrobe that you are also experiencing any or all of the following. To name a few…

· Ferral PMT.

· Hangry.

· Heavy periods/clots/gushers/needing to use at least 2 types of period products.

· Painful periods/and cramps during parts of cycle outside of period.

· Disrupted sleep/waking up around 2-4am/difficulty getting off to sleep even though bone tired/needing disco naps in the day.

· Irritability.

· Feeling like tears are behind your eyes all the time.

· Bloating.

· Brain fog.

· Feel like you are spinning on the spot.

· Low energy.

· Crap food choices.

· Weight fluctuations.

You need these hormones and functions BUT it buggers up the harmony with your hormones if you are in the chronic place of adrenal fatigue. I will go into more detail of this relationship next time.

I hope this has helped you build a clearer picture of how living on adrenaline and cortisol can be seductive—they make you feel like bloody Superwoman, and that can be incredibly appealing. But I also hope it’s setting off some warning claxons in your head. These hormones aren’t meant to be long-term companions; they’re designed for short bursts, not for constant survival mode.

The fact that they directly impact your emotions, inflammation levels, and period hormones—especially oestrogen and progesterone—should be a wake-up call. When these stress hormones stick around for too long, they can wreak havoc on your body, throwing everything off balance.

The more I talk about this, the more I am excited by it and how it really is the key to ALL the things my clients struggle with. Even if there are conditions in the mix too. Stress will always make this worse.

If you have any questions or comments please do give me a shout on here. Also let me know what you would like to learn more about. Really looking forward to this exploration with you.

Big love, Gems x

PS My membership Hormonal Alchemy is opening up on the 7th March. Make sure you don’t miss out on a spot and sign up for it here