How to Balance Your Hormones The Best Natural Secrets
It’s incredible, when you think about it, how our lives evolve as we age.
What are you enjoying about the passage of time?
I can almost hear you thinking…
Balance hormones secrets ?
“uh, what?”
After years of hard work, maybe your career is finally where you always dreamed it would be.
Perhaps your children are at last growing up to be the thoughtful, responsible young adults you knew they could be.
Or maybe you’re just finally at a place where you’re more comfortable being you.
You don’t stress out over things you did before, because you see now that it’s just not that important.
Yes, moving into your 40s and beyond brings many blessings.
And...
...depending on who you ask...
...a curse.
I’m not just talking menopause here - hormonal changes and imbalances can wreak havoc long before you undergo "The Change."
In today's article, we’re focusing on hormones.
Are yours out of balance, and are there ways you can correct this naturally?
There are sure to be many hacks and secrets with this one.
But wait, there’s more…
So let’s break it down.
The Symptoms: Are You Out of Balance?
As women, we have a lot of experience with hormonal changes.
For most of us, we experience them alongside our monthly cycles.
Indeed, some of the most telling signs of imbalance are similar to the symptoms of PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome).
However...
...there are more - many more that you may have had no clue are related to your hormones.
If you want to know whether or not you should make the effort to balance hormones, consider these:
Looking at these symptoms individually, it can seem easily manageable.
But if you have two (or more) of these, or even just one to an intense degree?
You’re not living the life you could be.
In fact, you may have been dealing with these effects for so long that it seems normal.
In many cases, it absolutely isn’t.
Not only are hormonal imbalances uncomfortable and life-disrupting, they may increase your cancer risk.
If you’re tired of feeling tired, stressing over the small stuff, and dieting to no avail, keep reading.
Six Steps to Healthier Hormone Levels
Some hormonal changes are anything but natural. You see, we have a tendency to brush things off and say it’s just the way the tide turns.
Of course, ups and downs are part of life, but those changes should be subtler, or circumstantial.
Hormones, on the other hand, are a rollercoaster no one should feel they have no choice but to ride.
There’s a natural way to get things back to where they should be.
Let me walk you through…
Here are six steps to take that will help balance your hormones.
1. Tune into Your Body.
First things first.
You aren’t just trying to get a hold of the symptoms, you must keep record of them.
Because there are many hormones which perform and interact in highly individual ways, you have to be very vigilant.
When are you most tired?
How did you feel after you ate?
What was your dominant thought when you woke up this morning?
These are major clues as to where your imbalance is.
This is also very key to finding what works. When you implement the changes below and keep track of them, you’ll be able to see what brings you the most benefit.
Here’s something we can both agree on…
This is a simple first step that will probably surprise you.
Commit to making your notebook - Shop now at Amazon.com your ever-present companion, and the patterns will begin to emerge like magic.
2. Speak to A Professional.
Now, this is important…
Armed with a precise record of your cycles, you can consult with the hormone expert of your choosing.
Consider visiting a naturopath as well.
You can also make an appointment for hormone testing to confirm where the problem is.
In the end, no matter how sure you are, a test can reveal that there’s no imbalance at all. That means you’ll need to refocus your efforts to resolve the source of your symptoms.
There are multiple methods for testing: serum, hair, urine, and saliva.
For best results, you’ll probably want to request a combination of these.
Allegedly, saliva testing is the most reliable, especially when tracking the big three: estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone.
Hair testing might be the least reliable.
Meanwhile, serum (blood) and urine are good when you pair them with one another or saliva tests.
3. Switch to a Hormone-Healthy Diet.
Whether or not you’re able to pin down what your exact imbalance is, clean up your diet immediately.
This way, you can prevent your risk of future imbalances.
Fruits and vegetables take the place of processed foods, naturally, but two key macros to get are protein and fat.
Protein is vital to healthy hunger signals that may be leading to that hormonal weight gain. Hunger itself is a hormonal response, and protein can help regulate this.
Some of the best whole foods rich in protein include lentils, oats, fish, Greek yogurt, quinoa and nuts.
Nuts are also a premium source of good fats. Fats are foundational to hormone production, including saturated fats.
As well as nuts, eat avocado and a little coconut oil.
Finally, those fruits and vegetables will provide antioxidants.
Fun fact: some hormones, like melatonin, are antioxidants.
4. Introduce More Good Bacteria
Never overlook gut health, especially if you have a proliferation of a certain hormone.
If digestion isn’t efficient, hormones can essentially be “reused” and absorb back into the blood from your digestive tract.
In addition, the microbiome, your unique colony of microorganisms, creates hormones such as progesterone.
For better detox as well as stable production levels, add in more good bacteria.
The usual suspect include yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha.
On top of these, eat more cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower.
Studies are showing that the inclusion of these can lead to a greater abundance of positive gut microbiota.
5. Simplify Your Life as Best You Can.
When I say “simplify”, I’m not talking about canceling everything; out-of-balance hormones can limit what you take on already.
I mean canceling a few things in favor of paying more attention to yourself.
When we think we’re “getting hormonal”, it’s usually our mental state that’s telling us so.
We’re crying more than usual, are angrier than normal, and honestly, feeling moments where things seem hopeless.
Or maybe, you feel like you’re at a loss as to what to think. Everything’s moving too fast for you to process!
Compounding your stress by taking everything head-on only makes the imbalance worse.
Hormones react to your feelings of stress, using your progesterone to create cortisol, the stress hormone.
Now, your body may make more progesterone to compensate for the loss to cortisol. But if your stress is chronic, it’s just going to keep working for the cortisol production.
That means that you’re not creating normal, healthy levels of estrogen and testosterone.
So when you withdraw participation in favors, projects, and events, replace each one with activities you dedicate to stress reduction.
Practicing meditation, yoga, getting a massage, or receiving emotional counseling are a few suggestions for how to fill extra time.
Stress reduction is also a good reason to see a naturopath or wellness coach. They can inform you about different herbs that can support relaxation.
The stress component is one that we don’t address seriously enough.
It’s the stress-hormone connection that can lead to irregular periods and hair loss in particular.
6. Clean House.
Do you download apps or visit sites like EWG to measure the “cleanliness” of the products you buy?
If so, you know that many get a bad rating because they contain “endocrine disruptors”.
The reason endocrine disruptors are of special concern is because there’s a suspected link to:
Among these disruptors are xenoestrogens, which imitate our natural estrogen. But they aren’t natural, they’re lab chemicals.
These chemicals hijack the endocrine system, which includes reproductive organs, your pancreas, thyroid, adrenals, and pituitary glands.
With that in mind, you can see why this would impact our efforts to balance hormones. But the truly shocking part is where these buggers lie - practically everywhere.
Lotion, soap, meat, and dairy are a few of the biggest offenders.
Produce can also contain them courtesy of insecticides, making washing essential.
Plastic food containers containing phthalates are another big source, so go with glass where possible.
Among the most disconcerting sources are feminine hygiene products.
These meet with xenoestrogens during the bleaching process. They may also contain fragrance with a potent amount.
To eliminate the risk, switch to a menstrual cup.
Okay, that’s enough about How to Balance Your Hormones Secrets for today.
Final Word
In today’s world, finding hormonal balance can be a challenge.
When you combine processed diets, xenoestrogen-laden products, and high-impact busy lifestyles, imbalance is practically imminent.
It takes dedication, but if you make space to do the following, you can achieve healthy, normal balance:
Women especially have trouble coping with imbalance.
It can be difficult to tell if symptoms are a regular part of our cycles and changes throughout life.
This is a very important topic I’d like your input on. Do you have any natural secrets that balance hormones?
What symptoms are the most challenging for you?
Let everyone know below, and we’ll talk soon.
