Dr. John Lee's Hormone Balance Made Simple: The Essential How-to Guide to Symptoms, Dosage, Timing, and More

by John R. Lee, Virginia Hopkins

From the bestselling authors of the classic What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You books about menopause and pre-menopause comes an easy-to-use guide on balancing hormone levels safely and naturally.

Dr. John Lee will help you answer key questions

Are my symptoms caused by a hormonal imbalance?
Which hormones do I need to regain hormone balance?
How do I use hormones for optimal health and balance?

Plus, learn how and when to use estrogen, testosterone and progesterone cream, in simple, effective language. If you want the ABCs of using natural hormones, this book is for you.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2006

About the author

John R. Lee, M.D., was a pioneer and expert in the study and use of the hormone progesterone, and on the subject of hormone replacement therapy for women.

Reviews

[Roni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audio version before purchasing the book. It’s a short read with great advice on hormone use but especially about the importance of treating underlying conditions if already on HRT!

[Tara Makhmali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really think that all women should learn about their hormones. I picked up this book because for years I’ve been experiencing a host of issues that pop up every month, including a life-long battle with lichen sclerosus that is often triggered by hormones, and conventional medicine has thus far failed me, and continues to fail me. Though much has changed, and there are now support groups, the knowledge gaps in traditional women’s health remain significant, and it’s very much up to women themselves/ourselves to arm ourselves with as much knowledge as possible when it comes to our health. This was an easy read that explained a lot quickly, and I would recommend this to any woman who suffers from migraine headaches, depression, foggy thoughts, allergies, insomnia, decreased labido, anxiety, PMS, fatigue, osteoporosis, and much, much more. I’m currently reading two other books discussing horomone balance, and they are hefty. This is a nice primer.

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book on how to balance hormone levels naturally. I have great respect for Dr. Lee. He spells it out for women in a way that is easy to understand. It seems that a lit of doctors don't know enough about the subject and just disregard hormone levels. This book explains how to notice imbalances and how to treat them. Highly recommend to anybody who thinks they might suffer from an imbalance.

[Melanie Araas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every women should read this book. I am startled to know how much of a role progesterone plays and my lack of. Not just for menopausal women but knowledge I wish I had known when dealing with endometriosis. It’s a quick read.

[Y Sh A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A combination of salient points from dr lee’s books on menopause and premenopause

[Christine Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a must-read for any woman before she starts to hit the dreaded menopause. It’s important to know that no, you’re not going crazy or dying -- it’s just a drastic change in your hormone levels that makes it feel like you’re living in someone else’s body.

“Perimenopause refers to the few years before menopause when many women’s hormones are really fluctuating, cause even greater weight gain, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, thinning skin, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, fatigue, and memory loss” (14).

Yes, I know -- something to look forward to, right? My goodness, I’ve got every single one of those, and it’s no picnic. And there are no easy answers or simple solutions to this, but just to ride it out. You may want to move away from your family during this time or develop a thick skin, because they are going to accuse you of being lazy, having early Alzheimer’s, and just being plain crazy.

“In menopausal women, estrogen is both made and maintained by belly fat. This would explain why, in middle age, even slim women get a bit of a belly -- nature’s way of making sure we get what we need” (45). Thanks Nature!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may change this rating as I experiment with the advice given by Dr. Lee but upon my first exposure, I resonated with a lot of what he said. I am going to test my hormones with the type of saliva test he recommends and go from there once I see my results. Judging from the symptom checklists in the book, my guess is that I will come back estrogen dominant and will probably end up experimenting with small doses of topical progesterone to see if that puts me into balance. I am 35 years old and feel like I have had major hormonal imbalance symptoms since hitting puberty, so I am hopeful that this book can help me get to the bottom of this. It would be wonderful to feel like my body was working with me and not against me! :)

[Belle Vought · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would've read this book before I started hormonal birth control at the age 16. Hormones play such a huge role in the daily lives of women, and generally, most women know of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, but how does a surplus/deficiency of these hormones alter our well-being? This book answers all of these questions and more, including a guide to recognizing these imbalances in your own body and the first step to take when it comes to natural hormone solutions. I actually just ordered a hormonal saliva test (blood tests are less accurate) to address my issues and it's been SO worth it. I now know what to eat and what to take during certain phases during my menstrual cycle.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

What symptoms indicate an imbalance in a woman's hormones? Heres a short list: PMS, fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, weight gain, fatigue, endometriosis, irregular or heavy periods, infertility, and miscarriage. Dr. Lee worked with these women and was able to help them alleviate their issues with bio-identical hormone treatment.

If you have questions about bio-identical hormone usage, this is the book to get! I have a couple of Dr. Lees other books, but this one really zeroes in on how to use bio-identical hormones, especially progesterone cream.

[Diana Bogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend primarily so I could follow the guidelines and use the resources to try to balance some issues with hormones. The book helped my friend so I was open to at least reading it. Cautiously optimistic that three months after finishing it and starting some of the recommendations there has been a satisfying level of improvement.

[Amelia Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a must read. Especially for women who’ve spent a lifetime on birth control using synthetic hormones. This information at best could literally save your life and at worst improve its quality when getting to later stages and all the changes that occur I’m very curious about what Dr Lee has to say about male hormones and will be reading that as well.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must know a lot about hormone therapy because there was not a lot of new info for me. As a holistic practitioner, I recommend using only natural; hormones and not synthetic ones. The author seems to be skeptical about the effectiveness of wild yam cream, however, I will tell you that wild yam cream got rid of my hot flashes,

[Bhairavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a must have book for women to really understand their bodies, cycles and hormones. In today's world of doctors pursuing numbers and business and 10 minute appointments where they don't want to explain what is happening to you, and would rather stick you with a prescription it's an amazing guide for you to navigate and validate the advice you get and how to really interpret it for yourself.

[Kaitlyn H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oldie but goodie! This is one of the books that propelled my path into hormone balance. I give 4 stars because my jury is out on the authors emphasis on supplementing progesterone. I did use it but later my naturopath cautioned against continuing.

[Audra Burton-Easterbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I hope to implement the recommendations. Easy to understand and execute

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post Menopause is the MOST confusing time of all!

I've seen specialists... And after 8 months of adjustments... I'm bleeding profusely today : ( not a happy camper $1600 later!! This $10 book just helped clarify in my mind what the corrective action needs to be. Thank you Dr Lee.

[Kate Taelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much information, I will probably need to reread this book again at a later date.

[Tammy Buchert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful information, but otherwise felt this was an extended commercial to encourage me to purchase other books by the same author. Not interested!

[Mandy Carver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good for women who don’t know much about hormones but I know a lot so it didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know

[Michele Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other books from Dr. Lee when I was younger and experiencing hormone imbalance. Now post menopause, I have found this book to be extremely educational and helpful in balancing my hormones

[Onnalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, helpful read. He explains things very clearly and gave me some ideas to tailor my healthcare better.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone just beginning to navigate the mysterious world of hormone replacement, I am very grateful to have the information in this book. The basics of how hormones work in the body were clearly explained, and I learned quite a bit that my own doctor--who believes in and uses bioidentical hormones herself--did not fully explain to me. I feel like I will be much better informed and able to make intelligent decisions as a result.

[Ligaya Blough · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of the book says it all

This book is both comprehensive and simple enough to understand. It clearly describes how, when, and why to use hormonal supplements. It also describes the value of nutrition and adequate rest to maintaining a healthy, happy body. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking good health and wants to keep that good health going through adulthood as a foundation to a healthy aging process.

[Laurell Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was an easy read. Very informative. It contains a basic overview of how hormones work in your body. I started to read "What your doctor will not tell you about Menopause". This book is more technical than this book but it is a good place to start. I liked the section on Hormone Balance Test. The self test gives you a good place to start understanding some of the changes going on as you age. I recommend this book.

[Debbie Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of all of Dr. John Lee's books. I have a copy in my car and one in my office as well. So neccesary for separating the wheat from the chaff, when it comes to learn what you need to know about estrogen dominance!

[skhart1964gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very informative

My girlfriend recommended I read Dr. Lee's books. I started with this one and found it very informative. Planning to start next one today. A MUST READ for any woman experiencing menopausal symptoms and especially if her current Dr is clueless.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr John Lee was ahead of his time when the said decades ago that synthetic hormones in conventional HRT cause breast cancer and stroke in women. He advocated bioidentical hormones esp progesterone and many women have benefitted.

A good read from a courageous and wise man.

[Neeter L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an over view of Dr. John Lee's other books, but is an easy read and references back to his other books.

[Denise Messenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in a series by Dr. Lee. Practical information for any women going through menopause or premenopause.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is a simple and concise look at balancing hormones. Quick to read and I learned so much.