Bioidentical Hormone Balancing and Functional Medicine

17/03/2025

Endometriosis symptoms can mimic many other conditions, leading to misdiagnosis and delays in treatment. On average, it takes 8 years to get a correct diagnosis!

⚠️ Conditions Often Mistaken for Endometriosis:
-Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) – Infection-related pelvic pain & irregular periods
-Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Digestive issues like bloating & constipation
-Ovarian Cysts – Lower abdominal pain & menstrual irregularities
-Adenomyosis & Uterine Fibroids – Heavy, painful periods & infertility
-Interstitial Cystitis – Bladder pain & frequent urination
-Myofascial Pain Syndrome – Chronic pelvic muscle pain

💡 Why Diagnosis is Difficult
-Symptoms overlap with many conditions
-No single test can confirm endometriosis
-Laparoscopy (a surgical procedure) is the only definitive diagnosis method

Early diagnosis can change lives! If you’re struggling with persistent symptoms, trust your body and seek a specialist’s advice. Our doctors take a holistic, personalised approach to every patient, leading to more effective treatment plans: https://bit.ly/3QCOjPp

13/10/2024

Wow 🤩

Today, at the conference, I gave a different kind of talk than I usually do. It explored the connection between the science and the symbolism of mitochondria. I’ve been talking about eating the natural colors of whole foods for some time (“eating a rainbow”). 🌈 That rainbow I’m talking about has many layers of meaning; one goes deep into the mitochondria.

The sunlight that plants turn into energy through photosynthesis ultimately translates within our mitochondria into ATP and the production of reactive oxygen species, each with their own wavelengths and respective colors. Research studies measure this light emission as biophotons. The mitochondria are also very ancestrally tied into the maternal line, or the yin aspect of our being. They yoke us to the aspect of wielding nourishment.

We want the mitochondria to have the proper balance of darkness and light, and one of the ways it can safely stay in darkness, without the excessive light spray of reactive oxygen species, is through the amphiphilic antioxidant, melatonin, which is highly concentrated in the mitochondria. Melatonin can be made in the mitochondria, but also comes from the pineal gland in response to darkness to sync us up with circadian consciousness and the deeper rhythm that runs through life.

When you go deeper, you can’t help but see that the mitochondria is truly more than the “powerhouse” of the cell to give us ATP. It is our inner power, our qi, our life force threaded through each cell of our being. The more we have, the more we are vitalized.

Du J, Deng T, Cao B, Wang Z, Yang M, Han J. The application and trend of ultra-weak photon emission in biology and medicine. Front Chem. 2023;11:1140128. Published 2023 Feb 17. doi:10.3389/fchem.2023.1140128. CCBY

27/03/2024

28/02/2024

A'HO...

24/02/2024

🌸 Join us at FORGE for an enlightening evening with Dr. Ghazala Aziz-Scott, the remarkable women’s health doctor who “fixed” our founder Amanda Mansell!

This week’s groundbreaking news: employers could face lawsuits for disability discrimination if they fail to accommodate menopausal women. This ruling, a first from the Quality and Human Rights Commission, underscores the urgent need for awareness and support.

“During FORGE’s refurbishment, I didn’t realise I was perimenopausal—I simply thought it was stress from setting up a new business! 6-months in, I was hit hard by menopause—sleepless nights, relentless night sweats, and overwhelming emotions. I couldn’t even get a GP appointment. Then I remembered Ghazala, a client specialising in women’s health. She offered a free consultation and said “Don’t worry darling I will fix you!” Within a few weeks she had. I felt like me again thanks to her expertise and personalised care”. -AMANDA MANSELL

It’s time to break the silence surrounding menopause. Join us for an open and frank evening with Dr. Ghazala Aziz-Scott. She’ll cover Perimenopause, menopause, the truth about hormone replacement, other midlife health considerations, personalised medicine, and hormone balancing nutrition.

📅 Date: Tue 26 Mar
⏰ Time: 6pm-8pm
💰 Price: £5. Book via link in our bio.
📍 Location: FORGE, 59 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TJ

Spaces are limited, so book to secure your spot! Refreshments will be provided

, Partner at The Marion Cluck Clinic, brings unparalleled expertise in women’s health. With a background in Medicine from Cambridge University, a Masters in Neuroscience, Medical Ethics, and Law, and extensive training in women’s health including the DRCOG and DFFP, her credentials are impeccable.

06/01/2024

The Universe is built upon fractal geometry.

07/11/2023

Last week I ran a video highlighting the importance of all the bodily functions & systems that benefit from the natural production of oestrogens & progesterone - as a result of having regular menstrual cycles / ovulating.

I promised to explain the impact natural oestrogen o***y production has on the brain, and does the oestrogen in the contraceptive pill offer the same benefits…. Read on 🧐

Ovarian oestrogen has a profound impact upon the brain, esp in adolescence:
1️⃣ Affecting regional grey matter volumes; the place where the processing of sensation, perception, voluntary movement, learning, speech & cognition takes place
2️⃣ Also oestrogen increases neural connectivity associated with psychosexual and other behavioural functions

In adulthood these hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) continue to shape the brain by modulating areas involved in cognitive & emotional processing, and are implicated in mood & anxiety disorders.

Enter synthetic hormones found in hormone contraception. The “oestrogens” & “progesterone” in these formulations contain drugs with similar names - progestins & ethinylestradiol BUT they are NOT THE SAME. We have to shout this from the rooftops 📢 as this misconception is failing women from adolescence to perimenopause (tune in next week for my perimenopause discussion).

A Danish study back in 2016 by Skovlund found a correlation between the use of Hormone Contraception and a subsequent first diagnosis of depression and the use of antidepressants. The increased risk of these adverse outcomes was noted to be the highest in adolescent women.

Fast forward to May 2023 a population-based cohort study based on data from 264,557 women from the UK concluded “...the use of OCs, particularly during the first 2 years, increases the risk of depression. Additionally, OC use during adolescence might increase the risk of depression later in life. Physicians and patients should be aware of this potential risk when considering OCs & individualised risk–benefit assessments should be conducted.”

Are we REALLY still here, blindly prescribing drugs without explaining risks to young women, parents / carers!

02/11/2023

Such important information 🙏🏻

Hormonal contraception is prescribed to adolescents for a myriad of indications from pregnancy prevention to treatment for acne or painful periods. The use with teen girls has been shown to have both seriously negative impacts on their mental health & bone health.

Today, I want to focus on bone health. As the image shows, teen years are a critical window for acquiring "peak bone strength" - the time of optimal skeletal development that will prevent fractures in late adulthood by providing bone reserve. Sounds important, right 🤔 The age at which peak bone mass is achieved varies for the hip, spine and other sites, but 90–95% occurs by the age of 21.

S*x hormones aka oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone made by the ovaries (predominately just to keep things simple) & growth hormones play a major role in achieving peak bone mass. Alterations in production of these hormones during this critical window can have lasting effects on peak bone strength. And the drugs in birth control - aka The pill ARE NOT the same structure nor do they provide any of the benefits that our naturally produced oestrogen & progesterone provide.

Studies indicate that Combined Oral Contraception use can compromise bone mineral acquisition in teens, esp if taken in the first 3 years post their first period.

Does this matter? Hell yes, missing the opportunity to attain peak bone mass, we have a generation of teens at risk of developing stress fractures, not to mention that oestrogen (naturally produced “oestriadiol” NOT ethinyl estradiol as a drug like the pill) also plays a role in the development of the microarchitecture that allows bone to withstand pressure & be flexible.

Prescribers of birth control SHOULD be transparent & counsel teens about the impact of hormonal contraception on their lifetime bone health. As states in her brilliant book Hormones Health & Human potential - “a 10% decrease in peak bone mass is predicted to bring forward by 13 YEARS the development of osteoporosis.”

Remenber - I'm hosting a Best of Health webinar next week The Bones of The Matter to provide all women with the info you need to protect your bones for life! Link in bio

18/10/2023

📣Exciting news! Due to the success of last years Hormone Conference we are bringing you the second “The Ultimate Hormones Conference 2023”

❓When: Thursday 30th November
❓Where: Online virtual event

This will be a deep dive into hormonal systems focusing on bringing you the latest knowledge and research, enabling practitioners to gain empowering strategies for Endometriosis, HPA Axis & Metabolic Balance.

We will be bringing you both live and on demand talks from renowned experts in the field of hormones.

Live presentations from Dr. Carrie Jones, Dr. Ghazala Aziz Scott and Patrick Holford. On demand sessions from Dr. Golnoush Golshirazi, Dr Sally Moorcroft, Zita West and Jo Gamble.

Find out more in our link in Bio [Nadia link this to the website: https://registration.hormonesconference.com/the-ultimate-hormones-conference] 🔗 and book your ticket today. ⚡Early bird discount £40 until 31st October and from Nov 1st £50.

👉Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best in the field of hormones. Register now!
carriejones .uk

Sugar

22/08/2023

I’ve heard numerous accounts of young women being offered oral or injection contraception as the solution, for many situations other than contraception; menstrual pain, irregular menstruation, acne & mood changes in fact a celebrity Dr recently said “You do not need a period, for anything other than fertility!” Well, this statement could not be further from the truth when it comes to bone health.

Bones need to grow to the optimal size, shape & strength. During childhood & into teen years, bone grows to reach “peak” density & strength, called peak bone mass. At this point bones are the densest and strongest we will ever achieve. For women, peak total hip and femoral neck BMDs accrue during ages 16–19.

Many variables are associated with higher peak BMD incl genetics, age at first period, more physical activity / less sedentary time, higher calcium/vitamin D3 intake. Why is the age of the first period important? The production of oestrogen & progesterone that follow menarche together with growth hormone, & insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) interact to modulate the changes in bone size, geometry, mineral content, & microarchitecture.

In the UK, nearly a quarter of women 16–49 are regular oral contraception pill users, evidenced in the 2021 paper in Frontiers Endocrinology “Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and intramuscular depo medroxyprogesterone
(DMPA) can compromise the expected gains in adolescence by altering oestrogen and IGF concentrations”.

The action of synthetic oestrogen-progestogen combined oral contraception acts by inhibiting ovulation. Depo Provera is a long acting contraceptive hormone injection, that releases a synthetic progestogen (this is NOT progesterone) slowly into the body, suppressing oestrogen & preventing the ovaries releasing an egg, thereby stopping the natural release of progesterone.

Both natural oestrogen & progesterone are required for bone health, through stimulating the bone-building cells called osteoblasts. The synthetic forms do not replace natural production. In fact Pfizer (producers of Depo-Provera) are involved in a $2.2 million class action lawsuit settlement for women that took their drug and suffered declines in bone density.

Again, of course, contraception is every young woman's right of choice but so is informed consent!

My colleagues are equally as passionate on this topic as I, and this is fully on the agenda to discuss at our Hormone Whispers event on 3rd Sept. Come along and get fully informed - we have 8 tickets left!

21/08/2023

INSULIN: When you have a basic idea of how insulin works in your body, then you are on the right path to making changes to your diet and lifestyle—and figuring out what works for YOU.

I recognize there are so many factors that influence or interfere with the insulin pathway and how it regulates blood sugar, including perceived stress, activity level and fitness, as well as your microbiome.

But here’s the basic mechanism of insulin resistance or block.

Your cells have receptors, which respond to specific hormones.

Receptors are like locks on a door. Receptors for insulin are present in target cells, primarily, liver, muscle, and fat cells.

Insulin is the KEY that fits into the lock (receptor) to open the door to allow glucose to enter into these cells.

What happens when that lock is jammed? Insulin receptors in the liver and muscle become RESISTANT to insulin and the key no longer fits in the lock. Excess glucose may be deposited as fat.

When there is a rise in blood glucose levels from too much glucose intake (combined often with excess stress, lack of sleep, and insufficient exercise, among other factors) and receptors start to struggle, insulin levels rise accordingly.

The pancreas works hard to keep up with the demand for insulin. Insulin shouts LOUDER. Imagine insulin banging on the door of the cell, like an irate neighbor, who complains about everything. In the beginning, the cell is willing to listen and eventually opens the door. But soon the cell can’t be bothered to get up and open the door anymore. The receptor is becoming jammed, or increasingly numb to the voice of insulin.

Then a vicious cycle is off and running.

Insulin keeps knocking more and more loudly. The cell ignores the knocking. This is Insulin Resistance or Block. The cells become numb to insulin and glucose levels in the blood continue to rise.

Late in the process, cells that are still willing to open the door are fat cells. Excess glucose may be stored as fat. The increased levels of insulin are now promoting fat STORAGE over fat BURNING.

Adipose tissue EXPANDS to accommodate the excess glucose and we gain weight, especially fat in the belly and in/around abdominal organs.