What do you think?
Rate this book
Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life: Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness through Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and Western Science
Tired? Overworked? Stressed? Out of balance? Welcome to the twenty-first century, where women's stress levels have reached unprecedented heights. Between myriad responsibilities, women burn through even the energy gained from sufficient sleep and a healthy diet. The result? Hormonal havoc.In clear, accessible language, internationally renowned doctor Claudia Welch explains hormones from A to Z, specifically how they relate to each other, how and why they become imbalanced, and how women can restore that balance. Welch includes simple diet tips, stress-management techniques, and natural sleep secrets. Using the principles of Ayurveda (popularized in the West by Deepak Chopra) and the holistic sensibility of Dr. Christiane Northrup, Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life gives women the essential tools to achieve the perfect balance between their yin (sex hormones) and yang (stress hormones), and between the body and the mind.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
302 people are currently reading
2968 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Welch
6 books36 followersDr. Welch is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine. She is an author of Eastern medicine and philosophy. She has served on the teaching faculty of The Ayurvedic Institute, Acupractice Seminars, and the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. Dr. Welch regularly lectures on Oriental and Ayurvedic medicines internationally.
March 2011 marks the release of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life, Dr. Welch’s new book, that combines Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medical theory with Western science to provide uncommon insights into hormones, women’s health concerns, lifestyle and diet. It is designed to be accessible for all women, and anyone who wants to understand women’s health, whether they are students or practitioners of Western medicine, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or simply of life.
Dr. Welch writes and lectures on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine internationally, where she seeks to honor the outstanding teachers she has had the privilege to study with, through sharing the joy of Ayurveda with her students."
March 2011 marks the release of Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life, Dr. Welch’s new book, that combines Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medical theory with Western science to provide uncommon insights into hormones, women’s health concerns, lifestyle and diet. It is designed to be accessible for all women, and anyone who wants to understand women’s health, whether they are students or practitioners of Western medicine, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or simply of life.
Dr. Welch writes and lectures on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine internationally, where she seeks to honor the outstanding teachers she has had the privilege to study with, through sharing the joy of Ayurveda with her students."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
December 11, 2015
This is the book I would give to each and every woman I love and treasure. Our culture makes us believe that it's OK to shift responsibility for making decisions about our health onto doctors. Well, that's your job, we think, so do your job and mend my body and mind. But that's not the way things are done when it comes to our health. Doctors are taught at universities where their studies fall into a certain curriculum and often their decisions are determined by what they have learnt. They apply their general knowledge to our unique case, our unique being, and in a way, they are right, because what else could they possibly do? If you are lucky to find a really good practitioner, he or she would also try to adapt the general guidelines of treatment to your personality. But the only true source of knowledge about yourself is you. This book will urge you to watch yourself, to listen to yourself, to be kind and understanding to your body. Not every medical condition can be treated without a professional's help, that's true. However, if you never ignore the signals you are getting from your body, just because you are attentive and agree, for once, to give a s**t, you may be able to provide your doctor with such a case history which might be even more helpfulto them than years at their medical school. This book is a woman's manifesto. It reads, SISTER, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. And you can't get away with not caring.
October 28, 2011
READ THIS BOOK! Ladies, read this book. Then when you're midway through and you realize, "why the heck hasn't anyone taught us this before?" write all your friends and tell them to read it to.
I honestly think that this book and some motivated women can start a revolution in the way my generation cares for their health.
ENJOY!
I honestly think that this book and some motivated women can start a revolution in the way my generation cares for their health.
ENJOY!
July 22, 2013
Same stuff you hear in the diet world today--no alcohol, little if any meat, lots of plants, moderate dairy, all organic, nothing frozen. I found the stuff she said about stress somewhat useful. You can have the best diet in the world and if you suffer from too much stress, you'll still be unbalanced. Of course, there weren't any workable solutions to dealing with stress. I need to see an Ayurvedic/TCM practitioner, apparently. I'm disappointed. I hoped for more.
August 27, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! As women today, our health is mystifying...especially when it comes to our hormones. Each day, our body is on a delicate hormonal roller coaster ride (at least until menopause). Instead of being prepared or understanding what is going on within us, we are often forced to talk to someone else and potentially wreck this already delicate balance.
Some have said this book is repetitive, and while I agree with that, I think that's what the author intended. So, for those who don't care to read it in it's entirety who may be only dealing with one particular issue--she will get all the goods just from reading about her issue.
It's a decent read...I read every last page...but if you are pressed for time and only have time to read the beginning and the chapters on your issues, you will still be adequately informed.
I appreciate the intertwinement of Eastern and Western medicine. Welch beautifully weaves the timeless information that is Chinese Medicine with well supported medical studies and Western "science" if you will...and it all makes perfect sense.
If you're a woman or have a daughter, or are a healthcare practitioner, this is a must read!
Some have said this book is repetitive, and while I agree with that, I think that's what the author intended. So, for those who don't care to read it in it's entirety who may be only dealing with one particular issue--she will get all the goods just from reading about her issue.
It's a decent read...I read every last page...but if you are pressed for time and only have time to read the beginning and the chapters on your issues, you will still be adequately informed.
I appreciate the intertwinement of Eastern and Western medicine. Welch beautifully weaves the timeless information that is Chinese Medicine with well supported medical studies and Western "science" if you will...and it all makes perfect sense.
If you're a woman or have a daughter, or are a healthcare practitioner, this is a must read!
July 22, 2014
Fabulous read with insights into Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Western approaches. I learned a significant amount about the body, especially the female one, hormones, the connection of hormones, about yin and yang, and so much more. I suggest this for everyone.
Interesting information from page 186:
"It is optimistic or misguided to think that isolating spices like turmeric, black pepper, or ginger, so that we can swallow them in capsules, will provide the same benefits as when they are cooked with whole grains and vegetables and consumed daily in freshly cooked food.
When they heard the good news about turmeric, researchers in Taiwan tried to treat cancer with turmeric capsules. But they found that, when consumed alone, it was poorly absorbed by the digestive system. Not so good. On they pioneered and found that when a pinch of black pepper or a little ginger--spices also commonly found in Indian food--was added to a quarter teaspoon of turmeric, the body's assimilation of turmeric was multiplied two thousandfold."
Interesting information from page 186:
"It is optimistic or misguided to think that isolating spices like turmeric, black pepper, or ginger, so that we can swallow them in capsules, will provide the same benefits as when they are cooked with whole grains and vegetables and consumed daily in freshly cooked food.
When they heard the good news about turmeric, researchers in Taiwan tried to treat cancer with turmeric capsules. But they found that, when consumed alone, it was poorly absorbed by the digestive system. Not so good. On they pioneered and found that when a pinch of black pepper or a little ginger--spices also commonly found in Indian food--was added to a quarter teaspoon of turmeric, the body's assimilation of turmeric was multiplied two thousandfold."
May 23, 2021
Appropriate diet, lifestyle & stress management. The books basically sabotages all your fulfilled dreams & calls you a woman driven by mindless ambition. These three pillars as Claudia likes to call it, is written over and over again. I agree with diet & lifestyle but tell me one job in this world that is not accompanied by stress, Am I supposed to wake up before dawn, do all my routine, go to a 9-5 job, sustain my livelihood basis it? So basically never go beyond mid level position? I guess balanced hormones can only be afforded by a woman comfortably sitting at home, comfortably domesticated or someone who can control the amount of time she can work or work from home. And what's with women shouldn't do rigourous training?? How did Amazonian or Warrior women in older era survived, did they procreate without breaking a sweat? How did early women survive man eating animals without triggering cortisol?
August 17, 2013
I love this book! Purchased early Summer and find myself rereading chapters over again. This was my first real eye opener to the powerful healing of Eastern Medicine and how it approaches a healthy body; correcting health issues naturally and then maintenance of. Dr Welch structured this book so that it is not necessary to start at the beginning to use this book (each chapter is specific to the body and maintenance of etc.) I did start at the beginning and am glad I did. Highly recommended! (Especially if you are searching for some reputable overall healthy body advice rather than a quick pill to mask-n-maintain disease that often comes with Western Medicine.
July 31, 2024
I started a deep dive into Ayurveda to deal with a health issue that western medicine, after a year, had no success in treating. After reading this book, I not only feel confident that I will heal this issue very soon, I have also identified a major cause of it. This holistic approach to women’s health is so empowering and exciting.
May 27, 2011
I was disappointed in this; it included a lot of (possibly accurate but potentially overkill) scare tactics about conventional medicine, and neither the examples nor most of the prescriptions connected with what challenges I'm trying to address or what change I'd like to make.
September 21, 2018
This book is going to change my life. It affirmed so many things for me and introduced me to a whole new way of thinking about hormones, menopause, stress and health. Very practical and very informative.
October 12, 2017
Plenty of great natural ideas to balance your hormones! I love that this book deemphasized medicines and put most of the responsibility on the individual for their health.
July 26, 2022
Take-home messages:
- Having a daily routine is a crucial part of health (yoga, meditations, walks, self-massage, breathing exercises etc.). When the body learns to count on this routine, the nervous system can relax.
- Artificial sweeteners are okay - for killing ants.
- When we are stressed out, we hold out breath and clench our bodies, emotionally and physically. Some women hold their stress in their shoulders, in their abdomen, and others in their reproductive organs. This creates stagnation in the body.
- A little pill, no matter how great it is, can never make up for what we put in our mouths and minds and how we live our lives.
- Diet and lifestyle are the best we can do to treat or prevent any illness.
- Having a daily routine is a crucial part of health (yoga, meditations, walks, self-massage, breathing exercises etc.). When the body learns to count on this routine, the nervous system can relax.
- Artificial sweeteners are okay - for killing ants.
- When we are stressed out, we hold out breath and clench our bodies, emotionally and physically. Some women hold their stress in their shoulders, in their abdomen, and others in their reproductive organs. This creates stagnation in the body.
- A little pill, no matter how great it is, can never make up for what we put in our mouths and minds and how we live our lives.
- Diet and lifestyle are the best we can do to treat or prevent any illness.
September 15, 2023
This came up under recommendations for cycle syncing and there was nothing in regards to that in the book. It gives the basic knowledge on holistic health, but didn't say anything about the different phases. If you're looking for a more intricate break down this isn't the proper read.
February 24, 2023
It was an interesting read. Definetely enjoyed learning more about food, self-massage, and spices that help with digestion etc I specially loved the chapters on birth control and breastfeeding, very informational and encouraging!
The chapter on "spirituality and meditation" was oxymoronic. While Dr. Welch has discovered we all have a spiritual need; she missed the mark by far in addressing this as "reading anything you find inspirational".
The chapter on "spirituality and meditation" was oxymoronic. While Dr. Welch has discovered we all have a spiritual need; she missed the mark by far in addressing this as "reading anything you find inspirational".
May 3, 2021
Although it is a good introduction to the concepts of eastern medicine and ways to approach diet and lifestyle, the book was extremely repetitive and did not offer and scientific look into how our hormonal system works. I was hoping to learn more about hormone cycles and circadian rhythms of which this book did not offer anything. I'm pretty disappointed and finally gave up after reading 3 to four chapters with the same advice. When I browsed through the rest of the chapters I didn't see anything different. I was already well versed in eastern medicine so maybe this would be new information to those with no formal knowledge but essentially this book just repeated the same chapter about things I already knew and felt were kind of common sense.
December 19, 2020
A pivotal book for womens’ health, understanding the yin / yang and sex / stress hormone balance in our life and how to optimise digestion and life alignment with Ayurvedic principles. This was recommended to me 8 (!) years ago and I wish I’d read it much earlier.
April 1, 2020
I sincerely think every single woman should read this book. I imagine that most women have had the experience of being in a doctor's office and being told there's nothing they can do for you, receiving a diagnosis you know is not true, or yet again being told your only option for that issue is to go back on the Pill. This book not only validates women's health issues (and provides great insight into where that those challenges might be coming from), but it also gives practical actions to bring the body back into balance. My biggest takeaway was the far-reaching effect that stress can have on our bodies, and it completely changed my views (and often my minimization) of stress.
I read this book while concurrently taking one of Dr. Welch's courses, and I'm glad I did for many reasons, but one reason being that it helped me to get a sense of Dr. Welch and appreciate the sometimes quirky sense of humor and content redundancy (and honestly the redundancy helped really drill down the information so I actually liked that about this book). She is a gifted and experienced practitioner with an incredible insights into Eastern medicine and a very balanced view of the role that Western medicine can play. And while some of the information she shares may be hard to hear because it is so different from what we've grown up hearing in the US, she shares it in a way that is less about telling you what to do and is more about giving you all the information so you can make the best decisions for yourself.
I will be recommending this book to every single woman in my life for sure.
I read this book while concurrently taking one of Dr. Welch's courses, and I'm glad I did for many reasons, but one reason being that it helped me to get a sense of Dr. Welch and appreciate the sometimes quirky sense of humor and content redundancy (and honestly the redundancy helped really drill down the information so I actually liked that about this book). She is a gifted and experienced practitioner with an incredible insights into Eastern medicine and a very balanced view of the role that Western medicine can play. And while some of the information she shares may be hard to hear because it is so different from what we've grown up hearing in the US, she shares it in a way that is less about telling you what to do and is more about giving you all the information so you can make the best decisions for yourself.
I will be recommending this book to every single woman in my life for sure.
Want to read
April 20, 2018Recommended by Belinda, the ayurvedic practioner around the corner from my house (www.wisewomanayurveda.com). Looks good, and I will definitely be looking for it! At SPK (613.0424 W439), so need to remember to look next time I head over there.
I did check this out of the library, and then I bought my own copy of it. I started reading it, but then lent it to a friend who hasn't given it back yet. I think she was more in need of it than I am.
9/25/12: Lent this to a friend and haven't gotten it back so guess it needs to come off of my currently-reading shelf...
March 2017: I did a weekend workshop with Dr. Claudia, and bought another copy of this. I'm reading through it slowly again.
April 2018: Somehow I have lost this book! I'd like to read more of it, but can't find it in my house. Odd.
I did check this out of the library, and then I bought my own copy of it. I started reading it, but then lent it to a friend who hasn't given it back yet. I think she was more in need of it than I am.
9/25/12: Lent this to a friend and haven't gotten it back so guess it needs to come off of my currently-reading shelf...
March 2017: I did a weekend workshop with Dr. Claudia, and bought another copy of this. I'm reading through it slowly again.
April 2018: Somehow I have lost this book! I'd like to read more of it, but can't find it in my house. Odd.
October 22, 2012
I would recommend this book to every woman. I honestly believe our culture is running us ragged. This book teaches you about you body and how to improve you health which is turn can improve your mental health. It gives up another way of looking at your lifestyle. I have naturally made many of these changes already because they felt right, but not I am implementing other changes into my life. My goal is to be an active and healthy old woman and if I change my life style, maybe I can be. I have also been so stressed lately, mostly from motherhood. I want to be calm and happier. Since these things take work, I'm being proactive and educating myself. All women would benefit from the knowledge provided in this book.
January 20, 2025
The science and the way that hormones are decribed is fantastic it makes it wasily understandable.
The diet unfortunately isnt ideal, it feels linw theres a bit of a plant based narative. Whatever diet people have, most people with all these problems have some real digestive issues probably the lack of nutrients is why their body isnt working correctly. But chosing what your body likes and doesnt is massively individual, me corn and histamine laden foods, my son milk and wheat and food additives.
The other thing is the hrt chapter on the study in the 2000s has been debunked many many times to pedal that information still is incredibly damaging. Some people really do need hrt.
However the science part has been invaluable. Just take the best bits and leave the rest.
The diet unfortunately isnt ideal, it feels linw theres a bit of a plant based narative. Whatever diet people have, most people with all these problems have some real digestive issues probably the lack of nutrients is why their body isnt working correctly. But chosing what your body likes and doesnt is massively individual, me corn and histamine laden foods, my son milk and wheat and food additives.
The other thing is the hrt chapter on the study in the 2000s has been debunked many many times to pedal that information still is incredibly damaging. Some people really do need hrt.
However the science part has been invaluable. Just take the best bits and leave the rest.
June 30, 2024
Although I haven't been diagnosed with a hormone imbalance, I found this book very useful as a woman who has been somewhat failed by modern Western medicine. I'm fascinated by the Ayurvedic approach to health, diet, and lifestyle and am continuing my reading of Ayurveda. The information in this book is fascinating, useful, helpful, and just makes sense to me.
July 31, 2024
Every woman needs to read this book! I’ve been reading this for 7 months now, what a journey it’s been. The author presents such important information in a digestible manner for readers who are unfamiliar with medical language. Anyways….. loved this book 🫶🏻🫶🏻 so many important messages and words of wisdom
March 14, 2020
This is one of those books I'm going to keep and return back to again and again.
Discusses how stress and sex hormones interact with one another as well as how our choices of lifestyle and diet affects them.
Really fantastic, my copy is annotated, dog-eared and highlighted.
Discusses how stress and sex hormones interact with one another as well as how our choices of lifestyle and diet affects them.
Really fantastic, my copy is annotated, dog-eared and highlighted.
March 6, 2015
I liked the author's take on hormones (yin/yang balance), but most of the info was stuff I already knew like eat right and exercise.
November 16, 2017
Best book I’ve ever read on balancing hormones. Spot on.
March 24, 2018
Favorite quotation: "Living a stressful life serves up a double whammy. We feel miserable while we are living it and miserable again when we experience its uncomfortable results."
December 8, 2018
One of the best books I’ve read about health and wellness, full of insights and revelations for practitioners and non-practitioners alike. I would recommend re-reading it annually.
March 5, 2019
Great book! Must read for those interested in taking ownership of their own health care!
October 3, 2019
Fascinating, practical, easy to read....a rare occasion where I couldn’t put a nonfiction book down.
February 4, 2020
I resolved to read 12 books, one per month, in 2020. This is the first book, which I read in January. I had borrowed it from my friend/yoga teacher over a year ago but hadn't gotten around to reading it. Since I am 5o and trying to conceive my first child naturally, and avoid menopause, I finally got around to reading it.
As I feared, it didn't contain much info that I didn't already know. I'd recommend it to someone who has been steeped in allopathic medicine, for whom a wholistic way of looking at health is still a novelty. There is a lot of info for the newbie here, but it mostly repeats healthy diet and lifestyle tips that are well-known to anyone with a passing acquaintance with wholistic living.
A common complaint in reviews about this book that I have read on Amazon is that it is redundant; the info is repetitive and could have been said once rather than repeated to flesh out many pages. That's true, and that was tedious, but I understand that the author designed it more as a reference, where someone might read the chapter on a specific condition that concerns them, rather than reading it cover to cover. Although I was most interested in the fertility info, I read the entire book, and the same advice is repeated almost word for word in each chapter.
The book reinforced what I already knew but was largely preaching to the choir. Rather than contain any useful info on fertility, it advised women to have their babies before 35. I found that advice infuriating. I also found it strange that she assumed that all women want children when she herself doesn't have any. Many women are child-free by choice, and she should know that. I didn't want children at 35, one reason I waited. I expect biology to cater to my schedule, not the other way around, and I was looking for ways to improve my fertility, which I did not find in this book; however, it gives good bland, general advice for a healthy lifestyle that might be useful for people who are ignorant of a wholistic approach to health and wellbeing.
As I feared, it didn't contain much info that I didn't already know. I'd recommend it to someone who has been steeped in allopathic medicine, for whom a wholistic way of looking at health is still a novelty. There is a lot of info for the newbie here, but it mostly repeats healthy diet and lifestyle tips that are well-known to anyone with a passing acquaintance with wholistic living.
A common complaint in reviews about this book that I have read on Amazon is that it is redundant; the info is repetitive and could have been said once rather than repeated to flesh out many pages. That's true, and that was tedious, but I understand that the author designed it more as a reference, where someone might read the chapter on a specific condition that concerns them, rather than reading it cover to cover. Although I was most interested in the fertility info, I read the entire book, and the same advice is repeated almost word for word in each chapter.
The book reinforced what I already knew but was largely preaching to the choir. Rather than contain any useful info on fertility, it advised women to have their babies before 35. I found that advice infuriating. I also found it strange that she assumed that all women want children when she herself doesn't have any. Many women are child-free by choice, and she should know that. I didn't want children at 35, one reason I waited. I expect biology to cater to my schedule, not the other way around, and I was looking for ways to improve my fertility, which I did not find in this book; however, it gives good bland, general advice for a healthy lifestyle that might be useful for people who are ignorant of a wholistic approach to health and wellbeing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews