Balance Your Hormones Naturally With These Effective Solutions

By Contributing Author: Helen Sanders

 

Hormones are the chemical messengers in your body that regulate all aspects of life. Some examples include estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline and insulin. They all have a number of important roles in the body and when even slightly out of balance, they can cause widespread health problems.

Hormones are produced by various glands including your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles and pancreas. Imbalances are common, however, their treatment normally includes the use of synthetic hormone replacement. This leaves people dependent upon prescription drugs and at higher risk of side effects like osteoporosis, stroke, anxiety and reproductive issues.

Finding natural ways to balance your hormones can be a simple yet effective solution without the worry of nasty side effects associated with synthetic treatments. So let us take a look at how to naturally balance your hormones.

Start By Eliminating All Toxic Kitchen, Beauty and Body Products.

Every single day we expose ourselves to harmful chemicals without thinking twice about it. We clean our kitchens, we apply lotions and potions to our skin along with cosmetics in an attempt to enhance our appearance.

However, many of the products we come into contact with on a daily basis are made with potentially harmful chemical ingredients including DEA, parabens, propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulfate.

The best way to prevent harm is to use natural alternatives like essential oils and coconut oil.

You would be astounded at the sheer amount of uses coconut oil has – from making an excellent moisturizer to an antibacterial cleaner for your home.

Of course, knowing which products are safe and which should be swiftly thrown in the trash can be difficult. This is why the Environmental Working Group evaluated over 72,000 products, ranking them in an easy-to-understand guide. If you check the EWG’s “Skin Deep Cosmetic Database” you can see which products to use and which to steer clear of, making sure you know exactly which product to disregard and keep your family safe.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Exercise is an excellent tool for balancing hormones as well as promoting overall health and wellbeing by reducing inflammation, promoting sleep, lowering stress and helping you to maintain a healthy weight.

Those with hormonal imbalances are at higher risk of adding stress to their system through long periods of exercise which can further increase the imbalance. This is why working out at shorter periods with a high intensity – such as high intensity interval training – is more beneficial.

In fact, a study conducted by the University of Notre Dame Medical School in Sydney, showed that “HIT is associated with increased patient compliance and improved cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes and is suitable for implementation in both healthy and ‘at risk’ populations” (source).

Eat More Healthy Fats

Fatty acids are essential building blocks for the production of hormones. Consuming foods with short, medium and long chain fatty acids is key to keeping your hormone levels consistent (source).

Get More Sleep

Lack of sleep can be detrimental to your body for a number of reasons, one of which being the fact it can significantly affect your hormones.

Lack of sleep is one of the three biggest contributors to excessive levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). A report published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism stated that “Stress can lead to changes in the serum level of many hormones including glucocorticoids, catecholamines, growth hormone and prolactin” (source).

Hormones work on a schedule, therefore a normal sleeping pattern is a big contributor to the regulation of hormones. Cortisol for example, is regulated at midnight, so people who sleep after this time never truly a break from their stress response.

Getting enough sleep (7 to 8 hours per night) is the best way to not only regulate hormones but also improve immunity, reduce anxiety and prevent excessive weight gain.

Final Thoughts

Hormonal imbalances affect millions of people every day. Many present themselves in forms most people don’t associate with an imbalance of hormones such as thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, menstrual irregularities and infertility.

Changes in weight, ongoing feelings of anxiety, insomnia, and changes in appetite are all symptoms of hormonal imbalance which can be addressed with natural solutions.

Controlling stress, getting enough sleep, exercising and removing harmful toxins are just a few ways to naturally balance your hormones. Even if you do not feel your hormones are out of balance, these good habits make healthy additions to your life and promote overall health and wellbeing.

 

 About The Author

Helen Sanders is chief editor at HealthAmbition.com. Established in 2012, Health Ambition has grown rapidly in recent years. Our goal is to provide easy-to-understand health and nutrition advice that makes a real impact. We pride ourselves on making sure our actionable advice can be followed by regular people with busy lives.