Hypothalamic amenorrhea and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are two common hormonal disorders that affect women of reproductive age. While they share some similarities, they are distinct conditions with different causes and symptoms. Understanding the differences between these two conditions is important, as they can be mistaken for one another and may require different treatments. Hypothalamic […]

Let’s talk about PCOS – a hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age all around the world. It’s pretty common, affecting about 10% of women, and comes with a range of symptoms like irregular periods, excess androgen production, and cysts on the ovaries. But what causes PCOS? While we don’t know everything, one thing […]

What is an iron infusion? An iron infusion is a procedure in which iron is delivered to your body intravenously (IV), meaning into a vein through a needle. Iron infusions can be prescribed by doctors to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Iron deficiency anemia is typically treated with dietary changes and iron supplements that you […]

Are you experiencing hormonal weight gain? You’re not alone — In consultation the typical picture I see is this:  *Work related stress and/or stress at home.  *1-3 too many coffees.  *Not making the time to sit down and eat 3 balanced meals and opting for something quick like a coffee and a snack. Often combined […]

Deciding to stop taking hormonal birth control can feel really scary for women, particularly if they went onto hormonal birth control to eliminate symptoms.  Many of us decide to take hormonal birth control like the oral contraceptive pill (OCP), have an IUD inserted or even have depot injections for reasons other than contraception. These reasons […]

What is PCOS? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome — PCOS  is a hormonal imbalance that affects women during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44). Between 2.2 and 26.7 percent of women in this age group have PCOS. Many women have PCOS but don’t know it. The cause of PCOS is a combination of genetic and environmental […]

Here at Solaine Douglas Nutrition, you know I have a large focus on gut health. The research is in agreement – a healthy gut is essential for a healthy you. When referring to ‘gut health’, I am not talking about kombucha or sauerkraut.  A healthy gut means that you can break down food, access and […]

Cyclical breast pain is breast pain that is related to your menstrual cycle. There is non-cyclical breast pain too, but that is typically more constant and not related to hormonal changes. Do you get cyclical breast pain?  You might notice tenderness, aches, swelling, lumpiness and general sensitivity. Typically you will notice these changes in between […]

Is oestrogen making you sneezy? Maybe you’re that person that is susceptible to hayfever, itchy eyes and maybe you also get some other seemingly non-related symptoms like bloating, anxiety, headaches, painful periods.  The most likely cause of your symptoms: histamine & oestrogen.  Did you know your hormones make your hayfever symptoms worse? And, this is […]

This article outlines the most accurate times of the menstrual cycle to conduct blood tests, depending on what hormones are being tested. This article relates to blood testing specifically as this is typically a method of testing that can be done with a referral from a General Practitioner. Commonly I use saliva or urine testing […]