Why is it that so many women struggling with hormone imbalances also struggle with anxiety? Turns out that the root causes of anxiety overlap with the root causes of hormone imbalances… and having hormone imbalances can contribute to anxiety as well.
From an integrative and functional perspective, anxiety is not a “diagnosis,” per se… it’s a SYMPTOM. And in order to identify the best approach to treating it, we have to uncover what the root causes of anxiety are on an individual basis. In this episode, I’m talking with Dr. Jen Roelands about the most common root causes of anxiety, the difference between anxiety and stress, and treatment options — which can include a variety of tools depending on your goals, including nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, and medications.
Dr. Jennifer Roelands is an integrative medicine trained OB/GYN with over a decade of women’s health experience. She is the CEO and founder of Well Woman MD, a clinic dedicated to a holistic, whole-body approach to care by using nutrition, lifestyle, and cutting-edge testing. She is also the host of Ignite Your PowHer podcast, a platform for badass female entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry. Dr. Jen is an avid outdoor enthusiast and traveler. Most importantly she is the GO-TO math expert for her 4 energetic kids.
This Week We Talk About:
- Why choice matters when it comes to a treatment approach for hormone imbalances and anxiety — whether you want a strictly conventional approach, a strictly natural approach, or a combination of the two modalities
- The connection between hormone imbalances and anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders
- What’s really underlying anxiety, and what anxiety is actually a symptom of
- Underlying root causes of inflammation and anxiety
- Why women are more prone to anxiety than men and times in the lifespan where anxiety is more common
- Symptoms of anxiety, types of anxiety, and how anxiety differs from day-to-day stress
- Managing anxiety around a chronic condition such as PCOS
- Labs to consider if you have anxiety
- Different treatment approaches to anxiety depending on your situation
- Nutrition and lifestyle tips for managing anxiety
- When you might want to consider medications for anxiety, alternatives to anxiety meds, and weaning off anxiety meds safely
Mentioned in this episode
PCOS Meal Prep Made Easy Workshop – In this hour-long workshop, I break down what foods you want to include for PCOS and what you may want to consider avoiding or minimizing. Learn my simple 3-step formula for planning meals with PCOS, which includes learning how to eat to balance blood sugar.
Where to find Dr. Jennifer Roelands:
Dr. Jen’s website: WellWomanMD.com
Dr. Jen’s Instagram: @wellwomanmd
Download Dr. Jen’s Freebie: Get Relief from Anxiety
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