This week I thought we could discuss the topic of hormones. I have heard how hormones can affect the way we see or how we will respond to something. I can say I thought this was just a bunch of crap people just said in my youth.
Now that I am over 40, I think there is some truth to what people have been saying. But, first, we will take the time to look at the facts and see if there is truth to what people say.
Thus, the question this week is, how do hormones affect us? And do they affect our results?
Let’s begin with how do hormones work?
How do hormones work?
I found this article that explained it rather well, and to summarize it in basic terms,
Hormones cause cellular changes by binding to receptors on target cells. The number of receptors on a target cell can increase or decrease in response to hormone activity. Hormones can affect cells directly through intracellular hormone receptors or indirectly through plasma membrane receptors. If you want a deeper understanding, click the link.
It is essential to understand that hormones are released in response to a change in the blood or other body fluids, such as a change in the level of a mineral or a change in temperature;
Hormones can be released in response to the action of a second hormone; the hypothalamus often secretes hormones that trigger the release or cessation of other hormones from the pituitary gland. Hormone release can also be triggered directly by a stimulus from a neuron; this is often used when a rapid response is needed.
How many kinds of hormones do we have?
We have four different hormones; the lipid hormone, the estrogen hormone for a female, and the testosterone hormone for a male.
The amino acid-derived hormone examples of amino acid-derived hormones include epinephrine and norepinephrine, which wake us up or put us to sleep.
The peptide hormones deliver all the necessary oxygen, small proteins, or growth hormones to your cells.
The glycoproteins deliver all the other hormones to the cells and glands throughout the body.
How do hormones affect us?
Hormones play a massive role in your normal functioning. For example, they control heart rate, sleep cycles, sexual function, and reproduction. In addition, your metabolism, appetite, growth and development, mood, stress, and body temperatures are all affected by hormones.
Hormones also change the probability of behaving appropriately according to your situation. In other words, it controls or regulates our moods and responses.
How do hormones affect us over 40?
After 40, most adults and all women start to experience physical and emotional changes such as but not limited to.
- Weight gain
- Sleeplessness
- Hot sweats
- Hair loss
- Unwanted hair growth
- Dry skin
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Brain fog
- Anxiety
- Short-term memory loss
- Fatigue
- Anger
- Mood swings
And the list goes on; the facts are that we simply can’t stop what is happening, and it will take focused effort to keep specific changes in check.
Conclusion
Learning all that we have learned about hormones and how they affect our bodies, would you say they affect our results? I would say that anything that affects the body and the mind, such as hormones, has a profound effect on most, if not all, of our results.
I would love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to share in the commit section below. Until next week, namaste.
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