BePure Clinic's Kristy Jordan on the Importance of Hormone Health

At the BePure Clinic, our Holistic Health Practitioners work with clients from around New Zealand, addressing their unique and individual health concerns. For everything from energy to sleep, the team at the Clinic have helped countless Kiwis change their lives for the better, providing support, sharing knowledge, and exploring testing to gather a broad picture of each individual’s wellness.

This week, we’re talking to Kristy Jordan about hormone health and what she has learned, and shared, on this topic that affects so many. 

 

1. At BePure we talk a lot about 'wellness journeys’, can you share some of yours with us?

 My journey spans from a history of hormones gone haywire and fatigue. With a big journey and lots of effort working on balancing my blood sugar, gut health and reducing stress from all aspects of my life I’ve been able to bring my hormones and hence energy back Into harmony. For me, finding the macronutrient ratio and eating frequency was important to reaching blood sugar stability, and a key stressor I had to consider was the kind of exercise I was doing (little bit less high intensity exercise for me).

2. What is the most rewarding aspect of being a Holistic Health Practitioner at the BePure Clinic?

My favourite has to be when a client comes to see me at BePure and finally feels like their story and symptoms are heard. So many women suffer from painful, heavy periods, low mood and headaches with these symptoms being far too often dismissed. For example, I recently had a client who came to me feeling they were a different person the week prior to their period (mood swings, tender breasts, headaches – the works). After 3+ months of working together we managed to get these things in check and their period came and went with ease. Their partner was very pleased with this outcome as well! 

3. What is a key aspect of hormonal health that people often don't know? 

A happy healthy period which comes and goes with little disruption is a marker of health – we Nutritionists fondly refer to it as a ‘monthly report card’. Although common; breast tenderness, heavy, painful periods and significant mood swings around your cycle aren’t necessarily normal. I suggest to my client to see these things as messengers from their body, and it’s important to do some further investigation to figure out the ‘why’.

A handy hint: Tracking your cycle via one of the various apps out there (I quite like FLO or Clue) , or a paper diary – so you can correlate how you’re feeling with we’re you’re at in your cycle is so useful, and often surprises people!

4. What is the best piece of advice you would give someone (relating to their hormone health)? 

To not underestimate the impact that stress can have on your hormones. Stress can come in various forms such as work, home, relationships but the less commonly thought about is stress from high intensity exercise (HIIT) or skipping meals. Whilst exercise is important, if your aren’t doing the right exercise for you, it can be a stressor on the body. Things like intensity and frequency as key factors to consider, remembering your health is dynamic so needs change over time. Common signs HIIT might not be the right exercise for you right now – changes in your menstrual cycle including length, spotting, headaches, mood changes and fatigue.   

Low impact, intensity exercise selections are often less stressful on your body – I like to recommend more pilates, yoga, walking & strength training (think isolated exercises, often with weights). 

5. What actually happens in a clinic consultation? 

In an initial consultation – we go through your health history thoroughly - including food, lifestyle, supplements, gut health, skin health, menstrual health, energy, diagnosed conditions. Leaving no stone unturned, we discuss it all – we even chat about your health as a child, travel history, dentistry history ! We then set goals, and make a plan with nutrition, lifestyle and supplement recommendations as well as organise relevant testing, if needed. 

6. What's your favourite way to start the day? 

I like to start my day slowly with some “me time”, to enjoy a hot drink in silence and wind into the day. I suggest trying to plan this into your schedule once a week to begin with. Right now, with the colder mornings I’m loving starting my day by sitting down with a hot cacao or turmeric latte and enjoying 15-30 minutes of no noise.  

For some of Kristy's favourite hormone-loving recipes, try a Cacao Hot Chocolate Peppermint or Turmeric Latte.  

If you'd like to make an  appointment with Kristy, or if you have any questions about the BePure Clinic and our Programmes, you can book a time with one of our friendly team to start that process here or select a time in the calendar below.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not designed to diagnose, treat or cure. We are all unique, for your individual health concerns it is important to discuss these with a BePure Holistic Health Consultant or relevant health professional.