Your hormones as a tree
Sex hormones are the canopy everyone notices, but they grow from roots and a trunk.
Chapter 05Priorities
Foundational vs. top-line hormones
Think of your hormones as a tree. If the roots are unwell, treating the leaves will not fix the tree.
Fig. 05 · The hormone tree
Healthy roots: the whole tree has what it needs.
05 · Priorities
Canopy · top line
Testosterone, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone
The hormones most people ask about. They are the visible outcome of everything below: the first to suffer when the foundation is off, and often the last to recover.
Trunk
Insulin
Carries energy from the roots to the canopy. Insulin resistance thickens the trunk the wrong way, driving fat storage, inflammation and imbalances in the sex hormones above.
Roots · foundational
Cortisol and thyroid
Set the pace of metabolism and the stress response for every cell. Everything above draws from them.
When the roots are unwell
The canopy suffers first. Treating the leaves will not fix the tree while the roots stay unwell.
Start with the roots
Stabilise cortisol and thyroid first: rhythm, sleep, nutrition and stress load. The rest of the tree draws on that foundation.