How to balance hormones is so important! EACH & EVERY system & organ gets affected by your hormones (directly or indirectly) so when something is out of balance, it affects everything else!
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It is VITAL that we keep our endocrine system happy & healthy to ensure our body functions at its best.
Hormones are basically chemical messages that get sent back & forth in the body between organs to tell them what to do.
TYPES OF HORMONES & WHAT THEY DO
Insulin:
Insulin is released from the pancreas after you eat and takes sugar (glucose) from the blood to cells for energy. Insulin is also the hormone responsible for storing extra sugar as fat.
Leptin:
This is released from fat cells and helps control appetite, maintain weight and tell the brain you are full. It’s often referred to as the “satiety hormone.”
Ghrelin:
This hormone is responsible for stimulating your appetite and is often called the “hunger hormone.”
Thyroid hormones:
Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) help regulate weight, energy, temperature, growth of hair, skin and nails and more.
Estrogen:
This is the female sex hormone that leads to changes during puberty and helps regulate menstrual cycle, maintain pregnancy, keep cholesterol in check and keep bones strong.
Testosterone:
The male sex hormone that leads to changes during puberty; increases sex drive, bone density and muscle strength (in both men and women).
Cortisol:
Cortisol is released in times of stress and increases blood pressure and heart rate. Too much isn’t good for your health, and it’s often referred to as the “stress hormone.”
Adrenaline:
Our “fight or flight” hormone is released in times of stress and increases heart rate.
Melatonin:
This hormone is released at night and prepares the body for sleep. It’s often called our “sleep-inducing hormone.”
DID YOU KNOW....
Women’s bodies are especially very sensitive to scarcity. If your body doesn’t feel like it’s getting enough, it down-regulates the production of sex hormones. Your body doesn’t know the difference between war or famine or a new weight-loss diet you’re following. (Melissa Groves Azzaro, RDN, LD, PCOS, hormone, and fertility dietitian)
Signs and Symptoms of Hormone imbalance:
Symptoms associated with the more common causes of hormonal imbalances include:
- unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- unexplained or excessive sweating
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- changes in sensitivity to cold and heat
- very dry skin or skin rashes
- changes in blood pressure
- changes in heart rate
- brittle or weak bones
- changes in blood sugar concentration
- depression and anxiety
- unexplained and long-term fatigue
- increased thirst
- headaches
- needing to go to the bathroom more or less than usual
- bloating
- changes in appetite
- low libido (reduced sex drive)
- hair loss, hair thinning, & brittle hair
- infertility
- puffy face
- blurred vision
- a bulge in the neck
- breast tenderness
- deepening of the voice in females
- changes in appetite
- digestive issues
- mood swings (irritability, sensitivity)
Causes of hormonal Imbalance
Causes of hormonal imbalance often stem from lifestyle. What we eat, what we do, how we behave etc. There are however genetic predispositions that could also cause hormone imbalance.
- exposure to toxins, pollutants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides AS WELL AS CHEMICALS FOUND IN MAKE-UP, BEAUTY PRODUCTS, CLEANING PRODUCTS & MANY OTHER HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS.
- consumption of foods containing large amounts of hormone and antibiotics (e.g. meat & dairy industry)
- poor diet and nutrition
- EXCESSIVE STRESS (the silent killer that causes many dis-eases)
- Lack of sleep
- Inactive lifestyle (sedentary life can cause many health problems, including a hormonal imbalance)
- Overactive lifestyle (excessive exercising is very damaging to one’s health
These lifestyle choice can lead to other diseases that affect the endocrine system and hormones (but limited too…..the below can be caused by other factors as well)
- type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- hyperglycemia (overproduction of glucagon)
- hypoglycemia (more insulin produced than there is glucose in the blood)
- underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
- over-or underproduction of the parathyroid hormone
- being overweight
- hormonal replacement or birth control medications
- abuse of anabolic steroid medications
- solitary thyroid nodules
- pituitary tumors
- Cushing’s syndrome (high levels of the hormone cortisol)
- Addison’s disease (low levels of cortisol and aldosterone)
- benign tumors and cysts (fluid-filled sacks) that affect the endocrine glands
- congenital adrenal hyperplasia (low levels of cortisol)
- endocrine gland injury
- severe allergic reactions or infections
- cancers that involve endocrine glands
- chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- iodine deficiency (goiters)
- hereditary pancreatitis
- Turner syndrome (females with only one functioning X chromosome)
- Prader-Willi syndrome
- anorexia
3 major side effects for treating hormones through medication:
Dr Axe – “Conventional treatments for hormonal imbalances typically include synthetic hormone replacement therapies, birth control pills, insulin injections, thyroid medications & more. Unfortunately, for the majority of people suffering from hormonal disorders, relying on these types of synthetic treatments often does three things:
1- It makes people dependent on taking prescription drugs for the rest of their lives in order to keep symptoms under control.
2 – It simply masks the patient’s symptoms, but doesn’t solve them, which means that the patient can continue to develop abnormalities in other areas of the body while the disorder progresses.
3. -It potentially causes a higher risk for serious side effects, such as stroke, osteoporosis, anxiety, reproductive problems, cancer & more.
Is it possible to balance hormones naturally? The good news is: yes, in many cases it is.”
* In many cases medical assistance is needed to help with hormone-related health issues & diseases. Always consult your doctor first.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO HELP BALANCE HORMONES
😴 Get enough sleep
The body needs rest to repair, rebuilt & replenish, especially your endocrine system.
Reduce stress
Our lives are CRAZY busy and often crazy stressful as well however it is our responsibility to manage it.
Practice stress-reducing techniques and practices like exercising (the one you enjoy and that doesn’t cause more stress and anxiety for you), meditate, breathing exercises, GET OUR INTO NATURE, get into the sunshine, south therapy, water therapy, massages, professional counseling to manage stress
Improve breathing
Most of us don’t breathe correctly, which leads to a lack of oxygen and therefore lack of body function. Learn to take conscious slow deep breaths, to not only slow down but also improve oxygen uptake.
Exercise
Like we mentioned above, too much exercise will do the opposite effect of balancing hormones. That’s why many women who “kill” themselves in the gym, often don’t see results because their hormones are being compromised by their excessive exercising.
- Choose something you enjoy.
- Find balance.
- Learn to listen to your body
- Do it because you LOVE your body, not because you hate it.
Clean our your cleaning cupboard
Removing toxic loaded chemical products will do wonders for your health.
Things like air fresheners, cleaning products & insect repellents all have major harmful effects on the body.
Start transitioning to natural, organic and safe cleaning products and use essential oils for air fresheners and insect repellents.
Clean out your beauty cabinet
This is a BIGGIE! GET CLEAN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
Makeup, shampoos, deodorants, body creams, facial products…..each and everyone contains chemicals that has an effect on the body.
Like above, start transitioning to natural, organic and safe beauty products.
Quit smoking and manage moderate to low alcohol intake.
Smoking brings so much harm, the best is to avoid it.
Excessive alcohol is never a good or safe idea however low to moderate intake can be manageable (depending on the individual, their history and health levels).
🌱Foods that heal & balance hormones
And here we are at the most important one……choose the right foods!
For the below, do the following:
- Make sure all foods are GMO-free
- Where possible, choose organic
- Rinse very well before use.
- Where possible, eat fruits & veggies fresh
🌾 Eat high fiber legumes & grains
Legumes are said to be one of the most powerful food groups around and it is a common food that is consumed in the BLUE ZONES (places in the world that are the healthiest and live the longest)
- Lentils, chickpeas, peas, & beans (all varieties) are what you should be choosing.
- Whole grains include brown rice, barley, buckwheat, rye, wholewheat, oats, corn
If you struggle with gluten or wheat intolerance, try quinoa or teff (both are actually a seed not a grain), and we have them RIGHT HERE!
🥥 Eat healthy fats
Avoid excessive consumption of saturated and hydrogenated fats and oils.
Stick to natural, pure fats like raw nuts, raw seeds, pure raw seed & nut oils, avocado, raw nut butter etc.
🥑 Eat Omegas
THE BEST SOURCE OF OMEGAS ARE OUR CHIA SEEDS & HEMPS HEARTS!!!
We even have a product called OMEGA ME that is a chia and hemp seed mix! It’s even better than fish oils because there is no risk of toxic metals (which also have radical effects on the hormone system).
CLICK HERE to get your OMEGA ME mix
🥬 Eat greens.
If it’s fresh and green, EAT IT.
Celery, cucumber, broccoli, spinach, bok Choi, kale, basil, parsley, coriander, lettuce (all types), baby marrows……wash them well & enjoy!
🌱 Eat sprouts
Sprouts are SO powerful and they are so easy to do yourself!!! Would you like to know how? If so, leave a comment below.
🥦 Eat Cruciferous veggies,
Foods like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage & bok choi are superstars at helping our livers metabolize estrogen in an efficient and healthy way amongst other things.
🍌 Eat loads of fresh fruit & veggies
Eat seasonal, eat varied and eat local!
📢 Our LIST OF SUPERFOODS THAT WILL HELP BALANCE HORMONES
- Maca Powder
- Cacao Powder
- Cacao nibs
- Goji Berries
- Hemp Hearts
- Chia Seeds
- Omega Me mix
- Chaga Mushroom Powder
- Iron+ capsules
- Kelp Capsules
- CBD Oils
All are ✅organic, ✅pure, ✅natural & ✅powerful!
CLICK HERE to shop our superfoods!
Try one of these easy & delicious HORMONE BALANCING recipes! (click the images below)
*no scientific or medical claims are being made on this website & what we share is based on our personal experience, testimonials from our clients & personal research.
Hello,
I absolutely LOVED reading this article! It is so interesting and so informative – thank you for sharing.
I’ve been following a plant based diet for 3+ yrs but I have some of the signs/symptoms of hormone imbalances. I currently take an Omega 3 supplement and B12.
Instead of taking an Omega 3 tablet, do you recommend that I replace it with the Omega-Me?
Hi Claudia
Thank you for your comment. We have sent you an email with suggestions to your query.
Light & love
SynerChi Team