How to Balance Your Hormones: The Steps to Take
Did you know that 47% of women aged 30 to 60 suffer from hormonal imbalances? What’s even more concerning is that 72% were unaware of the imbalance in the first place!
Symptoms that can come from an imbalance in hormones include mood swings, weight gain, trouble sleeping, anxiety and depression, and hot flashes. As you can see, these can be highly unpleasant!
While what causes hormone imbalance can come from a number of things, the good news is, there are some things you can try at home to alleviate these symptoms.
If you’re now wondering how to balance your hormones, then read on. We’ll give you a guide on the steps you should take.
Reduce Stress
When you’re stressed out, your body produces more cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol is also known as the “stress” hormone, and together with adrenaline, they work to help you make split-second decisions when it comes to fight or flight.
But if you’re constantly stressed out from things, you’re keeping your body in “fight or flight” mode all the time. Overproduction of these hormones can result in some unpleasant side effects.
While it’s much easier said than done, try to reevaluate your life and reduce stress where you can. Try and take up some calming activities so you can balance your hormones out again.
Sleep More
In our modern fast-paced world, many of us opt to sacrifice some sleep to up our productivity. But not only can this cause you to feel fatigued, but it can also mess up your hormone levels! With a lack of sleep comes an imbalance of hormones like insulin, cortisol, and leptin.
When you sleep, your body resets and heals itself, so it’s important that you get at least 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night. Your hormones actually work on a schedule, so you need to accommodate them by getting proper sleep.
Make sure you don’t stay up too late either. Your body starts regulating cortisol around midnight, so if you’re a night owl, this might possibly cause you to have higher cortisol levels than normal.
Eat a Healthier Diet
If you’re used to getting McDonald’s every day, then it’s time to stop that habit. Start home-cooking your meals and make sure they’re nice and balanced.
For example, you’ll want to get plenty of protein. For men (and also women to an extent), protein is vital in maintaining good hormone levels, especially testosterone. This is because proteins have crucial amino acids that are used for your bones, muscles, and skin.
In addition, you’ll want to limit your intake of sugars, carbohydrates, and soy. All of these have detrimental effects on your body. And yes, even soy, which many believe to be healthy.
Try drinking some green tea, as it’s known to boost your metabolism and help with insulin sensitivity.
You’ll also want to eat the right type of fats. Contrary to popular belief, not all fats are bad!
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are great for fighting against insulin resistance. They can also help reduce your appetite and lose some weight.
Lastly, you should watch your portions. Overeating can lead to an imbalance in your hormones. More specifically, it can cause an increase in your insulin levels.
Undereating can also cause hormone issues. This is because it stimulates the production of cortisol, which can then cause you to gain weight.
Exercise More
The amount of physical activity you get will have a direct effect on your hormones and their levels. This is because when you’re exercising, you release endorphins, which are known as the “feel-good” hormone. It can improve your moods, especially because it’s a natural painkiller.
Exercising can also decrease your cortisol levels, as well as the adrenaline in your body. Both of these are stress hormones that can throw things out of whack, so by exercising more, you’ll be able to reduce symptoms from a hormone imbalance.
Stop Drinking and Smoking
Your liver is responsible for filtering out toxins. Not only that, but it also uses fats and proteins to make hormones. If your liver is too busy filtering out the toxins from drinking (at its very core, alcohol is a toxin), then it won’t be able to make the right amounts of hormones.
And we all already know that smoking is bad for your health. But did you know that it can significantly affect the levels of certain hormones, such as growth hormone (GH), prolactin, and luteinizing hormone (LH)? There are so many benefits you can get from quitting smoking, including balancing your hormones!
See a Doctor
If you’ve tried all the above steps and still feel like you have the signs of a hormone imbalance, then it’s time to see a doctor. Having hormone imbalances despite leading a healthy lifestyle indicates that there’s something that’s not going right in your body. A medical professional will be able to access the situation and order any necessary tests to confirm their suspicions.
Once they figure out what your hormone levels are like, your doctor can then give you a personalized treatment plan. For example, your issues might warrant hormone replacement therapy (HRT), especially if you’re of menopausal age.
Know How to Balance Your Hormones
By knowing how to balance your hormones, you’ll get a shot at a better life. Once you figure out what’s wrong and fix it, you’ll be able to escape all the annoying and tiresome symptoms that come along with hormone imbalances.
So if you suspect that you have a hormone imbalance, give our tips a try. And if you still don’t feel any better after doing so, make sure you see your doctor! Together, you can figure out what’s wrong and get your life back on track.
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