“I think my hormones are out of balance” a patient will tell me or “I am so tired all of the time and feel rubbish constantly”. Do I need to do hormone replacement to feel better, or is there a natural way to get my hormones in balance? No sex hormones works alone, matter of fact, nothing in the body works alone. So when one hormone gets out of whack, others can quickly follow, such as the adrenals, insulin, and thyroid. The cause of an hormonal imbalance can be one of many, but the good news is that you can fix these imbalances without medications. If you want to receive my Free Guide on the full 5 Steps To Balancing your Hormones click here My 3 Tips: 1. Balance Blood Sugar
Our hormones control our digestion, mood, stress and metabolism. Our hormones also work alongside insulin to control our blood sugar levels. If hormones have become unbalanced, our blood sugar levels will be on a never ending roller coaster. If you get hangary very easy, experience high and low energy, it is very possible your blood sugar levels need attending too.
Protein: Good quality protein is essential with each meal (breakfast, lunch & dinner) to ensure the carbohydrates we are digesting is released gradually to keep our blood sugar levels balanced. Great sources of protein include: Organic or grass-fed meat, wild fish, eggs, high quality plant-based protein powders, lentils, beans, chickpeas, nuts and seeds.
Complex carbohydrates: Complex carbs are whole grains and starchy vegetables. The reason for needing to incorporate complex carbohydrates is because they contain complex sugars which are broken door much slower than simple sugars in refined carbohydrates, which help to reduce your blood sugar levels (insulin) from spiking. Examples are: Sweet potato, whole grains, squash, pumpkin, peas, quinoa & buckwheat and vegetables.
Healthy fats: are required for the movement of nutrients for our cells and balancing inflammation levels. They also help to keep us nice and full and are essential for brain cognition. All key for hormonal health. Examples are: Olive oil, oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines) avocados, coconut and coconut oil, nuts & seeds.
2. Prioritise Sleep
Sleep is so important when it comes to balancing hormones. When we sleep many biological processes happen, our body detoxifies getting rid of toxic waste and stores new information, mainly between the hours of 11pm-2am.
Sleep and the body’s circadian rhythm play an important role in regulating the production of hormones. Cortisol helps up rise in the morning and melatonin helps us fall asleep in the evening. Hormone levels can fluctuate during different stages of sleep and the quality of sleep one has can also affects daytime hormone production.
How to Accomplish this?
- Getting into a set bedtime routine - hitting the hay around 10pm and rising with the sun. - No screen time after 9pm. - Winding down with a book, meditation or some quality time with yourself or partner.
- Limiting caffeine, alcohol, processed foods can help with getting better quality sleep from reducing your exposure to radical burden.
3. Stress & Trauma
Living in a chronic state of fight of flight, whether that is from stress or trauma has damaging effects on immunity and hormones. When living in this state-of-being the body produces more cortisol than it should, because it is always on high alert. This can cause physical symptoms such as anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, or feeling sick and nausea.
Too much stress can also cause irregular menstrual cycles and infertility, as well as a decreased libido. Because stress also triggers mood swings and irritability, a hormone imbalance can lead to personal problems. Overall, when stress creates a hormonal imbalance, it’s capable of negatively affecting quality of life. Addressing Stress & Trauma
- Adopting a consistent exercise routine - Practicing daily meditation, mindfulness, or deep breathing exercises
- Addressing underlining trauma through psychotherapy, EDMT, hypnotherapy with a certified therapist
- Improve sleep hygiene
- Minimising consumption of caffeine and alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy diet
- Evaluating and adjusting work life balance
- Seeking emotional support from family and friends