A good health is the most precious gift of nature that we can enjoy. However, certain factors such as diseases and illnesses, lifestyle and diet can mess with this natural bounty and prevent us from living our life to the fullest.
Hormones are tiny chemical couriers that help ensure optimum health. They assist in the execution of some critical functions in our body such as growth, reproduction and digestion. However, in order for these important chemicals to fulfil their roles effectively, they need to be maintained in a delicate balance within our bodies.
Hormonal imbalance can result in unexplained weight gain or loss, heightened anxiety, excessive fatigue, loss of sleep and even infertility. Not quite good, huh?
But what is good (rather good news) is that there are a number of ways you can manage your hormonal imbalance and slowly bring back the equilibrium that can guarantee a fulfilled life. And the best part is that all of this can be done through some simple diet and lifestyle changes (unless you have a serious medical condition in which case you must consult your physician as well).
Included below are 6 natural ways to balance your hormones and enjoy the good health you deserve.
While a healthy and balanced diet is important for maintaining an overall good health, it is also critical for making your hormones work in the perfect harmony they are supposed to. It is suggested that you avoid sugary and processed foods containing refined carbohydrates since they can increase your blood sugar levels and cause metabolic diseases and insulin resistance.
Additionally, consider filling yourself up with proteins with every meal since they help one feel fuller for longer and decrease levels of the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin. Moreover, try to consume healthy oils such as olive oil and coconut oil as they contain healthy fats that help regulate the hormones linked to appetite, metabolism, and feeling full.
And finally, don’t forget to consume plenty of fibre, fatty fish containing Omega-3 fats and avoid overeating at all costs (yes, even when your favourite foods are laid on the dinner table!)
Once again, a physically active lifestyle is important for so many reasons. It not only prevents you from gaining excess weight but also assists in maintaining an overall good mood.
Neat, isn’t it?
Exercise and physical activity may prevent overeating by helping to regulate the hormones that control appetite. Moreover, strength exercises and cardio is also believed to increase the hormone ‘Dopamine’ that is linked to feeling good and happy.
Still not sold on exercising?
Doing some gym time can also increase production of the male sex hormone testosterone and the female sex hormone, estrogen. A decrease in testosterone levels can cause men to lose muscle mass and lower their sex drive whereas low estrogen in females can result in early menopause (or menopausal symptoms).
So what are you waiting for? Get yourself moving now!
We discussed the harmful effects of endocrine disruptors in a previous post. These disruptors can mess with our endocrine glands, which are responsible for secreting hormones into the bloodstream, and wreak havoc on our health and wellbeing.
Avoid endocrine disruptors such as plastics and self-care products that contain phthalates, parabens, and other hormone-disrupting chemicals. To this end, it is not a bad idea to develop a habit of reading the ingredient lists for everything you buy and be on the lookout for any endocrine disruptors which must be an absolute no-no to ensure good health.
Getting a good night’s sleep cannot only help you wake up feeling fresh and revitalised the next day but also ensure that you sleep better the night after. It’s a vicious cycle in that it can quickly take the form of a pattern where you spend one sleepless night after another.
Try to get a good night’s sleep by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Additionally, avoid the blue light emanating from your computers, phones and tablets at night and consider using melatonin supplements instead of sleep medication if you absolutely need to get some assistance for falling asleep.
While it is impractical to avoid stress completely and a certain amount of stress is important for us to function properly, excessive mental agony can have a host of negative impacts on our health and wellbeing. Chronic stress can cause disruption in the levels of various hormones in our bodies such as cortisol, adrenaline, prolactin, thyroid and growth hormones which can lead to a number of diseases including diabetes, sexual dysfunction and adrenal fatigue.
Managing stress can be challenging, but not impossible. Try to point out the specific triggers in your case and avoid them at all, if possible. Additionally, engage yourself in regular exercise, meditation, yoga and connect with friends, family and support groups to find peace. Some supplements are also found to help your body cope with everyday stressors and relax. One such product is Sashvitality’s Organic Ashwagandha 500mg KSM-66.
All in all, try to have a positive outlook on life and your circumstances and you will certainly experience your stress levels declining.
Supplements are crucial to maintain optimum health in today’s era. This is because even if we consume a balanced and healthy diet in today’s day and age, our nutritional needs cannot be met effectively with just the food we eat. Additionally, supplements can play a role to support and balance the production of healthy hormones in your body which makes their intake ever more important.
To give you some more insight on this, certain vitamins are found to help with specific dysfunctions when it comes to hormones. While vitamin D is found to help with regulating insulin and thyroid hormone, vitamin B6 can help alleviate the symptoms of PMS and vitamin E can ease the symptoms of menopause.
Remember, your individual supplemental needs will depend on your particular health condition and a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be applied here.
Have you tried any of the remedies described above for combating hormonal imbalance? Please share your views in the comments section below and let us know about your experience with hormonal imbalance.
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