When we think of “hormones,” most women think of estrogen, progesterone, or maybe testosterone. But there’s another hormone that quietly shapes your vitality long before perimenopause or menopause symptoms begin. IGF-1, the growth hormone metabolite, is almost never tested, yet many women experience symptoms associated with its decline.

Learn how to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way using the true indicators of health and wellness— metabolic health and longevity. Any workout or dietary plan will be ineffective without balancing key hormones including: thyroid, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, insulin and IGF-1 all of which impact our body composition.

The thyroid is a small yet powerful, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck and envelopes a small section of the trachea. The thyroid gland makes two main hormones: thyroxine (or T4) and then T4 converts to triiodothyronine (or T3) via thyroid peroxidase enzyme. Besides our metabolism, thyroid helps maintain optimal immune function and impacts reproductive hormones as well.