“What is DUTCH testing and do I need it?”

Many women come to me after years of being told their labs are “normal,” yet they still feel off.

They’re dealing with things like:

• stubborn weight gain

• fatigue or burnout

• sleep disruption

• anxiety or mood swings

• worsening PMS

• heavy or irregular cycles

• perimenopause symptoms

• low libido

• brain fog

• or feeling unlike themselves

They’ve tried adjusting nutrition, supplements, exercise, and stress management — sometimes with partial improvement, sometimes with none.

And eventually they ask:

“Is this just aging… or is something actually off hormonally?”

Sometimes symptoms are lifestyle-driven.
Sometimes they’re gut-related.

But often, hormones are part of the picture as they become imbalanced when gut, minerals, lifestyle and stress and negatively impacted over time.

And this is where DUTCH testing can become incredibly helpful to pinpoint exactly what’s happening.

What Is DUTCH Testing?

The DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is an at-home urine test that evaluates:

• Estrogen patterns and metabolism
• Progesterone levels
• Testosterone and androgen balance
• Cortisol patterns throughout the day
• Melatonin and b vitamin status
• Stress and detox pathways related to hormones

Unlike basic blood work that provides a snapshot at one moment, DUTCH testing helps show how hormones are being produced, used, and cleared over time.

This is especially valuable in women whose symptoms fluctuate or don’t match standard lab results. If you had standard one time ‘hormone’ blood test with your doctor and it showed normal levels of estrogen for example, that’s only reflective of that one point in the day/time. Same goes for cortisol, which could look normal in the morning but then remain high most of the rest of the day.

Why Standard Hormone Testing Often Misses the Problem

Conventional testing usually measures hormone levels in blood at a single point in time.

But hormone symptoms are often caused not just by levels, but by:

• Poor hormone metabolism
• Stress hormone dysregulation
• Estrogen detox problems
• Cortisol imbalance
• Hormone fluctuations rather than deficiencies

Two women can have identical estrogen levels on blood work — but very different symptom patterns depending on how estrogen is metabolized and cleared.

That’s where deeper testing becomes helpful.

Who Benefits Most from DUTCH Testing?

Not everyone needs hormone testing immediately. For me, as a 42 year old perimenopausal woman, I personally test mine each year during my birthday month (June - shout out to my fellow geminis!). I do this to stay on top of changes and be able to act sooner and keep my hormones functioning optimally.

DUTCH testing is often most valuable for women experiencing:

Perimenopause or menopause symptoms

• cycle changes
• night sweats
• mood swings
• sleep disruption
• anxiety or irritability
• weight redistribution
• low libido

Persistent fatigue or burnout patterns

• wired and tired feeling
• afternoon crashes
• difficulty recovering from stress
• poor sleep despite being exhausted

PMS or cycle-related symptoms

• heavy periods
• painful cycles
• breast tenderness
• migraines or headaches
• mood changes before menstruation

Diagnosed as endo, PCOS, infertility or fibroids/cysts.

Difficulty losing weight despite effort

Especially when paired with:
• fatigue
• cravings
• sleep disruption
• increased abdominal fat

Women using or considering hormone replacement therapy

To better understand baseline patterns or monitor support strategies. This may help guide a plan more strategically (for example to know that your levels are low, detoxed poorly or how to address next steps).

When DUTCH Testing Might Not Be the First Step

Sometimes hormone symptoms are actually driven by:

• gut dysfunction
• blood sugar instability
• chronic inflammation
• nutrient deficiencies
• stress overload
• sleep disruption

In these cases, addressing foundations first often improves symptoms without needing advanced testing immediately. Inside the Happy Gut Reset program we work on all of these things (foundations for a healthy lifestyle, gut health, managing stress, improving sleep so hormones become MORE balanced via this work and often women have complete resolution of symptoms like pms, heavy periods etc).

What DUTCH Testing Can Reveal

Estrogen metabolism patterns

Helping explain:
• heavy periods
• PMS
• breast tenderness
• estrogen dominance patterns
• perimenopause symptoms

Progesterone patterns

Linked with:
• sleep quality
• anxiety
• cycle regulation
• mood stability

Testosterone balance

Which affects:
• motivation
• muscle mass
• libido
• confidence
• energy

Cortisol rhythm and stress patterns

Helping explain:
• burnout
• sleep problems
• anxiety
• fatigue cycles
• weight resistance

Hormone detoxification pathways

Important when symptoms persist despite hormone support. HOW the hormones move through the body matters a LOT. Estrogen and testosterone in particular can move down harmful pathways, which contributes to worsening symptoms and can even contribute to terrible outcomes like PCOS, infertility and contribute to things like estrogen sensitive cancers.

Why Interpretation Matters More Than the Test

A hormone test alone doesn’t fix symptoms.

Results must be interpreted in the context of:
• symptoms
• lifestyle
• gut health
• nutrition
• stress load
• sleep patterns

Two women with similar results may need completely different approaches.

The real value comes from connecting results to a practical, personalized plan.

A Common Pattern I See

Often women come thinking their hormones are broken.

But testing reveals patterns like:
• cortisol burnout driving fatigue
• poor estrogen clearance creating PMS
• low progesterone affecting sleep
• stress suppressing hormone balance
• gut dysfunction affecting hormone metabolism

Once we understand the pattern, solutions become clearer — and progress feels possible again.

In Short

Hormone symptoms are common — but not inevitable.
Testing can help clarify what your body is actually dealing with.

When you understand the pattern, you stop chasing symptoms and start making targeted changes that work.

What to Do Next

If you suspect hormones may be playing a role in how you’re feeling and you’re ready to invest in testing, purchase the DUTCH complete testing package here. It’s $799 CDN.

Inside my DUTCH hormone testing package, you receive:
• The DUTCH test kit shipped to your home
• Clear instructions for sample collection
• Comprehensive interpretation of your results
• Personalized recommendations based on findings

If you aren’t sure that DUTCH testing is right for you, email me at hello@womenshighvibehealth.com and we can connect about it via email or book a free 30 min call with me.