Feeling like something is "off"?
Like, you have a hormonal imbalance?
Brain fog, cravings, hair loss, acne, hot flashes, insomnia, intrusive thoughts, crippling anxiety, and debilitating fatigue getting in the way of your life?
Hormone change can definitely play into those signs and symptoms.
And, *when something is off, what do we look to? *
Testing.
So you ask your doctor for a hormone test. Maybe you even consider dropping serious cash (and, I mean upwards of $400) on one of those expensive, fancy tests you see online ... especially after your doc is like: "I'm not going to run your hormones".
I'm here to tell you what your doctor may not be saying out loud that's making you feel like they're not listening.
Hormone testing isn't like testing your vitamin D or cholesterol.
This is because:
Don't get me wrong--there's definitely a time and place for hormone testing!
What tells us the most is YOU!
Your experience is the most important information when it comes to your hormone health.
It also tells us which tests to run, whether they include hormone testing like estrogen and progesterone, or not!
A lot of women and menstruators fall through the cracks when it comes to their hormonal health, unfortunately.
Marketing buzzwords like "hormone imbalance" and "estrogen dominance" are then used to market to us (while we're in a vulnerable and exhausted state). More on that here.
The most scientific and evidence-based way to test hormones is still blood testing. These can only be performed by regulated health professionals like medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, and nurse practitioners. We don't profit off these tests either.
In the online space, influencers and coaches and nutritionists (who normally are not allowed legally to run blood work) can run "fancy testing" that test your hormones in urine and such. As of right now (Nov 2025), the data on those tests is not that great when it comes to utility. What I mean is that it doesn't tell us more than what you + blood work are telling us -- it also doesn't change your care and your treatment plan. (Aaaaand, they also cost 3-10X more (with built-in profit margins)! Aaand, the people selling these tests then also have other products and services to sell.)
Now, don't get me wrong: some of these online hormone coaches are well-intentioned to support people who slip through the cracks and are struggling with their health. Some are working from a place of not knowing the science of hormones and the body all too well. However, I want you to be a conscious consumer as you navigate your health.
Check out the latest episode of Phase to Phase to understand when hormone testing is very important (like if you're experiencing infertility or rapidly changing hormonal symptoms), what other tests are SUPER important to how you experience hormone change, and what need to do to figure this out with your health team.
If you're in Ontario, then you can also reach out to work together.
