Overcoming Hormonal Mood Swings and Uncovering Hidden Imbalances in my 40s!

Candace here! Hormone Health Educator and Founder of Your Hormone Balance.

You may have seen my daughters, Jess and Rye, sharing more about rebalancing their hormones in their late 20s/30s (on Instagram HERE and HERE), but this week I wanted to open up about my battle with hormone imbalances in my 40s, which became the catalyst for my foray into the hormone health industry (25+ years ago!).

You see, I was 37 when I had Jess, and 41 when I had Rye, so I was an “older mom” and began experiencing the hormonal roller coaster symptoms of perimenopause while the girls were still quite young...

My moods were so bad that I’d see the tears well up in their eyes when I’d have another meltdown…but still, I couldn’t stop the Jeckyll and Hyde mood swing cycle!

Although I had been working as a health educator, writer and investigative journalist for many years (having received my Masters in Health Education in 1979), I wasn't well educated on hormones until I hit perimenopause and watched myself become someone I no longer recognized. In addition to dark moods, I battled with hot flashes and night sweats that majorly impacted my sleep and libido (further impacting my moods) and I was putting on weight in areas I hadn’t before, and was having a really hard time losing it!

Once I learned that there was such a thing as a HIDDEN hormone imbalance (i.e. an imbalance that often goes undetected by standard blood tests) and that I could test for them in a simple saliva test, my whole world changed.

I learned that I had estrogen dominance (i.e. excess estrogen AND low progesterone) and my cortisol (stress hormone) levels were LOW from morning till night!

Having always looked for natural solutions for any health issue or concern, I made it my MISSION to find natural solutions to my imbalances and actually called the hormone testing company (where I received my very first saliva test) to find out if they had any job openings, in hopes of pursuing a career in hormone health. This ultimately led to becoming the Director of Education at ZRT laboratory for over a decade (which is the same laboratory we use in our practice today).

After learning from // working alongside the world’s leading scientists, functional medicine doctors, nurse practitioners and compounding pharmacists in the integrative hormone health space for many years – my #1 goal is to pass on this knowledge to women EVERYWHERE, who are still not receiving the support and information they need and DESERVE, to be able to transform their lives and experience relief from their symptoms!

I went through hell in perimenopause because I didn't have the right education and support, and I don’t believe anyone (man, woman, or teen) should suffer from hormone imbalances in silence, or for any prolonged period of time. There is MUCH that can be done to help you get back to feeling like yourself again, and I want to remind you that we’re here to support you (either through our blogs, our podcasts HERE and HERE, and/or our hormone re-balancing packages, offering in-depth support). 

If you can relate to my story, I encourage you to check out my latest reel on Instagram HERE, and leave a comment sharing what your experience has been like dealing with hormone imbalances! You can leave any questions there too, or simply reply to this email with your thoughts or concerns.

Be Well, 

-Candace Burch, MA
Hormone Health Educator 
Founder, Your Hormone Balance