I
Introduction
have a confession to make. Not long ago, I was a health-care practitioner
leading a double life. By day, I greeted patients, listened to their concerns, and
did my best to find the missing link. But in the midst of it all, I found myself
struggling with the same symptoms they suffered from, and I did my best to hide
that from the world. I put on my happy mask and pushed forward, ignoring the
signs that something was seriously off-balance.
The questions I asked my patients to get to the bottom of their deep-rooted
problems were precisely the same questions I should have been asking myself:
Are you gaining weight and don’t know why?
Is your energy drained?
Do you have trouble falling asleep and then have to drag yourself out of bed in the
morning?
My own answer to every question was “Yes.”
Are you craving ice cream or potato chips in the middle of the day and/or late at night?
Do you find your keys in the freezer and your glasses on top of the toilet?
Have you sent the same text to your friend for the third time after forgetting about the
previous two?
Sadly, I was preaching to the choir. Every symptom they described, I, too, was
experiencing.
Are you so moody that your husband approaches with caution when he sees your face?
Do you often feel like you’re just losing your mind?
My patients were continually astounded at my mind-reading superpowers while
I fought to swallow that gut feeling that kept creeping back up. Of course, deep
down I knew. Looking at their faces was like looking in a mirror. And the culprit?
Hormonal imbalance