Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate our body processes, including digestion, metabolism, and immunity. Hormones play an important role in maintaining homeostasis—a state of equilibrium within the body. When your hormones are in sync, it’s easy to feel in balance physically:
Still, everyone can relate to feeling unbalanced at one time or another. Hormonal imbalances can cause or worsen certain health conditions, like insomnia, decreased sex drive, and infertility. Luckily, there are natural ways to balance your hormones that don’t involve taking prescription medications or hormone replacement therapy. Here are five ways you can naturally balance your hormones.
This is hands down the most important thing you can do for your health. The quality of what we eat significantly impacts how well our body functions, especially regarding hormone balance.
Whole foods contain fibers, vitamins, and other nutrients that support the body’s natural functions. Processed foods often lack these essential nutrients and have synthetic fillers or preservatives. They also tend to be high-glycemic, which can cause blood sugar spikes that lead to insulin resistance — another risk factor for hormonal imbalances.
To balance your hormones, you should avoid processed foods and eat natural, whole foods instead. This means avoiding refined sugar, saturated fat, and trans fats and eating more fiber.
One of the biggest culprits of hormone imbalance is sugar. Sugar is a hormone disruptor and can cause weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and more. The most common source is fructose, which is present in sweetened beverages like juice and soda.
Sugar causes your body to release insulin into the bloodstream, stimulating fat cells by slowing down the rate at which they burn calories for energy. In addition, chronic elevation of insulin levels over time may lead to insulin resistance—a condition in which cells stop responding properly to this important hormone. Insulin resistance puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes as well as obesity itself.
Gut health is an often-overlooked player in the game of hormone balance. The gut can impact everything from weight loss and digestion to mood swings and PMS symptoms. The digestive system is home to trillions of bacteria that play an essential role in the body’s metabolism and immune function.
When the balance between “good” bacteria (probiotics) and “bad” bacteria (pathogens) is disturbed, it can lead to hormonal imbalance. The best way to support hormone balance is by eating foods that nourish the digestive system and promote healthy gut flora. For example, fermented foods like yogurt contain probiotics that help regulate hormone levels by increasing insulin sensitivity and improving bowel health. Also, eat more fiber-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Exercise is excellent for your health and can help balance your hormones. It helps to balance estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in both men and women. Regular exercise also helps regulate your thyroid gland, which controls the production of several other hormones.
In addition, exercise helps your body release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters that improve your overall sense of well-being and happiness. It also helps burn off stress-induced cortisol and reduces inflammation, which can contribute to weight gain. Everything you need to balance your hormones can be found in daily physical activity.
Stress is one of the leading causes of hormonal imbalance. Stress can cause your adrenal glands to produce high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which can throw off your entire hormonal balance.
One way to avoid stress is by practicing mindfulness meditation or yoga, which has been shown to reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels. You can also try taking up a relaxation hobby like knitting, gardening, or simply spending time with friends and family.
So, can natural remedies help to balance your hormones? Based on the evidence, they can! Your diet, lifestyle, and environment all impact the production of hormones in the body, and these natural remedies have the potential to impact them. While there is no magic cure for hormonal imbalances, following these natural tips can help to balance your hormones naturally.
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