Marsha E. Gorens, MD, works with many men and women from in and around the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, who are living with the symptoms of hormonal imbalance. If you’ve noticed changes in how your body feels or functions, it might be due to fluctuating hormone production.
As we enter the New Year, let’s take a look at a few ways you can optimize your hormones and begin 2026 with renewed energy and health.
For men and women in middle age, the leading cause of hormonal imbalance is a natural decline in the volume of hormones your body produces naturally, namely estrogen and testosterone.
While this natural decline is normal, it can cause symptoms that make it difficult to enjoy everyday life. There’s no need to accept these changes as an inevitable part of the aging process when there are ways to optimize your hormones safely and effectively.
But aging is not the only thing that could be causing a hormonal imbalance. Numerous health issues might be to blame, including type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease, stress, and autoimmune conditions, just to name a few.
That’s why your first step should be a thorough health assessment to determine the cause of your symptoms and begin charting a course for relief.
You’ve heard it again and again, but it bears repeating. The foods and beverages you consume each day directly affect virtually all aspects of your health and wellness.
An unhealthy diet can make hormonal imbalance symptoms far worse. Poor nutrition can also prevent your body from regulating hormonal production on its own.
Improving your diet can not only help you navigate hormonal imbalance with ease, but it can also reduce your risk of developing chronic disease and help you thrive.
Getting enough protein each day is a great place to begin. Be sure to choose protein sources that don’t have high levels of saturated fat. Eggs, lentils, fish, and chicken breast are all good options.
Consuming foods that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is also important. Consider adding blueberries, dark chocolate, fatty fish, and leafy greens to your meals and snacks.
If your symptoms are significant, few things can balance hormones quicker than professional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Dr. Gorens offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy using plant-based synthetic hormones that share the same molecular structure as your natural hormones.
Customization is a huge benefit of HRT. The process begins with assessing your current hormone production, then adding supplemental hormones to create an ideal balance. Your program can be altered over time to optimize results.
Some people report improvement very soon after beginning HRT, but it takes a few months to see the full effects. Be sure to track any changes you notice throughout the process, both positive and negative. This information helps Dr. Gorens customize your treatment plan to deliver the results you’re looking for.
If you’re ready to try HRT or have additional questions for Marsha E. Gorens, MD, please call our office at 872-210-4640 to schedule a time that works for you. We also offer an easy online booking option that you can access anytime.
