Recovering from HA, HRT and osteoporosis?

[tiinafin]

Does anyone have any tips or experience for recovering from hypothalamic amennorrhea and osteoporosis? I follow Peat’s views on diet and lifestyle very strongly (although starch in the form of cereals is still strongly in my diet because living in Finland - the promised land of canolaoil and oats ). Should I be “worried” about the amount of estrogen in the body when it is presumably too low due to HA? I have also used HRT, which I will now omit. Are there any tips on how to support your sex hormone production and initiation?

I also need to get more fat into my body (I do bodybuilding, I do too much aerobics, and confusingly enough, my thyroid works even assumingly too efficiently, the gut works clockwise and I have tremendous energy)

I really appreciate all your views and advice!

 

[Elize]

Would love to see comments too

 

[Ulla]

I would say it is better first to get your periods back and then deal with other stuff.
This book is quite informative about HA: No Period. Now What?: A Guide to Regaining Your Cycles and Improving Your Fertility

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As you mentioned already, it is wise to stop HRT and give your body some rest from too much (rigorous) activity.

 

[tiinafin]

I was wondering if, in addition to a metabolic diet (saturated fatty acids, sugars, eggs, liver, soaked grains, sourdough, fruit, raw carrots, chocolate, ah all the good stuff ...), I could “build” my own HRT protocol during weight gain and waiting my own production to start? For example, use pregnenolone or DHEA and intermittent progesterone?
(And, of course, doing a lot of rest, recovery, renewal, all the best for my body to rejuvenate and heal ?)

 

[Ulla]

It is hard to say how to approach this. You didn't mention your age, the background of periods before, BMI, fat percentage... have you done any blood tests of sex hormones?

Maybe you could try keeping all those metabolic foods and incorporating changes in lifestyle aka less cardio and not too much / zero weights for a while and see where it is going.

 

[tiinafin]

Thank you, Ulla (that´s says a lot that you brough up the guru herself, Nicola Rinaldi).
Thanks for wanting to hear more! I am a 38 year old woman. HA been more than 11 years. Severe eating disorder at about 19-32 years of age. After that, the weight was not normal. Now a little relapse from which I want to fully recover to health. HRT in use for five years. Gynecologist follow-up and basic blood tests only (estradiol not measurable, thyroid hormones okay, not measured t3). Osteoporosis, no medication (only HRT to it). Height 157 cm or 5.1 feet, weight (I have now been unmeasured, I am muscular) about 44-45 kg or 99 lb. Fat percentage assuming less than 10. I am very motivated, though also confused by all the information Ray Peat provides about fats, estrogen, serotonin, all of it!)

 

[Ulla]

Thank you, Ulla (that´s says a lot that you brough up the guru herself, Nicola Rinaldi).
Thanks for wanting to hear more! I am a 38 year old woman. HA been more than 11 years. Severe eating disorder at about 19-32 years of age. After that, the weight was not normal. Now a little relapse from which I want to fully recover to health. HRT in use for five years. Gynecologist follow-up and basic blood tests only (estradiol not measurable, thyroid hormones okay, not measured t3). Osteoporosis, no medication (only HRT to it). Height 157 cm or 5.1 feet, weight (I have now been unmeasured, I am muscular) about 44-45 kg or 99 lb. Fat percentage assuming less than 10. I am very motivated, though also confused by all the information Ray Peat provides about fats, estrogen, serotonin, all of it!)

Yes, I was dealing with HA for many years as well. I was over-exercising and had too low body fat percentage. Also HRT and a history of low carb / calorie restriction. All hormones were shut down, thyroid was okay, BMI of 18,5.
It was confusing to me too, with all RP info and the lack of estrogen on the other side. I was Raypeating for two years before going 'all in'.
I also read a book by Lara Briden, Period Repair Manual (2015) and it gave me even a little bit more of an understanding of our cycles. I really needed my own progesterone which could be made only via ovulation and for that, I needed to "send a message to my body" that it is a safe environment to ovulate and be possible to carry a baby. I gained 8-9 kg in 6 months. For another 6 months, my weight gain was stable and after one year all together I finally ovulated (BMI 21,5). At first, my periods were inconsistent because of late ovulation but that didn't bother me, my luteal phases were all long 12-14 days. It will be 4 years this year since having back my cycles that were absent for 13 years. I also lost half of my gained weight with no intention. My health has been improving since then.

In the recovery time, I didn't do much sport, I quit the gym and rigorous hiking. I ate lots of foods and I tried to keep them clean as possible. Meaning, I was eating starches, meat, eggs, dairy, fruits, cooked veggies, chocolate, drank some coffee, grounded flaxseed (lignans). Things I was supplementing during recovery were Mg, Se. I also tried with Inositol because I had testosterone on the higher end of the reference range, although I hadn't had PCOS.

So what I want to say is that I would keep the use of pregnenolone or DHEA or intermittent progesterone away for now and focus on foods and lifestyle. Try to work on nose breathing, visualization, relaxation, rest...
I would go for first establishing cycles and then work on all the other things. Women need those sexy hormones :)
Regarding bone mass, I would try to incorporate some raisins, plums (Boron), full-fat cheeses from grass-fed cows (vit K2 - maybe supplementing)...

 

[tiinafin]

Thanks for sharing your own background. I also used the grounded flaxseed recommended by Nicola Rinald, but left it out with Peat.
When you mention starch, did you use grains? I have challenges getting other than grains around here (at a reasonable price), so I’ve started soaking in acid my oats and flour, as well as using sour dough.
I still bother you by asking if you left your HRT out during recovery? I stopped just a fee days ago, but still hesitating a little bit. on the other hand fer of missing out both cynthetic and natural should motivate me to get my production up and running as quickly as possible. But you wouldn’t use dhea or pregnenolone at all as a support (I don’t take your views as medical advice, i.e. don’t worry about it)?






thanks for sharing your own background