Hormones And Your Health
Hormones are chemical messengers that help your cells communicate and trigger various actions. Theyre the bedrock of your bodys endocrine system, which regulates growth, reproduction, metabolism, temperature, and even your mood.
Hormones and the endocrine system keep your body in a balanced state of homeostasis. Therefore, having a hormonal imbalance too little or too much of a certain hormone can have harmful side effects.
Oxidative stress, infertility, and endocrine disorders like thyroid disease are just a few conditions that can result from hormonal imbalances (
13 ).
Whats more, Nigella sativa extract exhibits estrogenic activity, meaning it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen in your body .
In fact, some studies in rats are exploring whether nigella seed extracts could be an alternative to hormone replacement therapy during menopause, a time when the body typically produces less estrogen than it used to .
Concentrated Nigella sativa supplements are becoming increasingly popular and sometimes marketed as black seed or black cumin seed. Whole nigella seeds have an herby aroma and are easy to add to bread, salads, and other dishes .
Still, keep in mind that most studies on nigella seeds and hormones were conducted in animals and used concentrated extracts or isolated thymoquinone. Thus, while using whole seeds in cooking can be healthy and delicious, it may not confer the same benefits.
How Are Hormones Balanced Naturally
Your first step is to determine your hormone levels. A naturopathic doctor will draw blood and conduct lab testing to determine what is going on within your body at the cellular level. The lab results will tell you the underlying cause for your symptoms.
Once hard numbers are procured, a naturopathic doctor can develop a customized treatment plan to get your hormones balanced and optimize your health and wellness. Your specific plan may include all or some of the following, depending on your individual needs:
Follow A High Fiber Diet
Fiber is essential to a healthy diet.
Studies have found that it increases insulin sensitivity and stimulates the production of hormones that make you feel full (
Researchers believe that this diet increases your intake of protective plant compounds such as polyphenols and lignans .
Summary
Replacing a diet high in red meat and processed and refined foods with a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, legumes, and fish may help you manage your estrogen levels.
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How To Balance Hormones With Diet
A whole-foods, anti-inflammatory diet that includes healthy fat can support healthy hormone production by optimizing digestive health, ensuring sufficient micronutrient levels and regulating blood sugar levels. Of course, the diet needs to be personalized and you should avoid any foods youre sensitive to, even if theyre considered healthy.
An anti-inflammatory diet significantly limits refined grains, sugar, processed foods, and inflammatory fats and generally includes:
High quality research has found that women who consume higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, and milk and dairy products may have less pain associated with menstruation . And a study of 100 nurses with PMS found a significant drop in PMS symptoms when at least four daily servings of refined grains were replaced with whole grains, compared to controls .
Dietary Fat
While weve been told for years that dietary fat is bad for us, its actually a critically important nutrient.
Its a good idea to include healthy fat with every meal and snack to promote healthy hormone production, balance blood sugar levels, and maintain an optimal omega-3 index above 8% . Some great options include:
- Olives or extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado or avocado oil
- Full-fat yogurt
Alcohol
Micronutrients
| Nutrient |
Women with PCOS may benefit from zinc supplementation:
Which Hormones Are To Blame
Even though each hormone plays a specific role in the body, there are a few key hormones to keep your eye on as they can influence many different lifestyle factors. Here is a brief overview of each.
- Cortisol: the stress hormone that may cause insomnia, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
- Thyroid hormones: can affect our metabolism, and can be an underlying cause of irregular periods, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and hair loss.
- Estrogen: a female sex hormone responsible for female physical features and reproduction.
- Progesterone: another female sex hormone vital for a healthy pregnancy.
- Testosterone: the primary male sex hormone that influences sex drive, bone health, acne, and body hair.
- Insulin: controls the sugar level in your body.
- Leptin: helps to regulate body weight.
- Ghrelin: the hunger hormone that signals the brain to eat.
- Melatonin: a hormone that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.
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What Causes Hormone Imbalance
Virtually everyone experiences imbalanced hormone levels at some point in their livesparticularly us women! These imbalances are often a result of natural changes that occur with age, such as puberty and menopause. When you were growing up, hormones triggered bone and muscle growth. They also set in motion the reproductive changes that led to menstruation and fertility in young women, and sexual maturity in young men. This surge of hormones is behind the acne, mood swings, and other teen issues that affect most adolescents.
What Is Hormone Imbalance
A hormone imbalance occurs when your body produces too much or too little of a hormone. For example, if your thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone, it impacts every area of the body. You can experience weight gain and fatigue due to a slow down of your metabolism. A cortisol imbalance occurs when you are under chronic stress and the adrenal glands cannot keep up with the demands of your body. Another type of hormone imbalance is a sex hormone imbalance like high levels of estrogen or low levels of testosterone. This occurs when the body does not produce enough estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone due to menstruation, PCOS, menopause, or aging. No matter the type of hormone imbalance, you can experience a plethora of symptoms.
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Hormonal Imbalance And Fatigue
Fatigue is a common symptom that may have many potential underlying causes. Just as too little progesterone can make it hard to sleep, too much progesterone can make you more tired. Another common hormonal imbalance that causes fatigue is low thyroid hormone levels . This condition is easily diagnosed with a blood test. If your levels are low, you can take prescription medication to bring your levels back up to normal. Regardless of any hormone imbalance that may exist, practice good sleep hygiene to optimize your sleep. This involves going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and exercise from the late afternoon on to avoid interfering with sleep. Establish a relaxing nighttime routine to give your body the message that its time for sleep. Take a warm bath, sip a cup of chamomile tea, or listen to relaxing music.
Your Low Testosterone Levels Are Slowing Down Your Metabolism
You are confronted with an astounding number of toxins each day, including pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified foods, and about six different synthetic hormones in meat. Toxins are lurking in face creams, prescription drugs, processed foods, your lipstick, the linings of tuna fish cans, the fire-retardant materials in couches, and even the air you breathe. The list goes on.
Many types of these toxins, such as pesticides, plastics, and industrial chemicals, behave like estrogen when absorbed in the body. Experts believe that our increasing exposure to toxins helps explain why so many girls are entering puberty earlier and why many boys exhibit feminine characteristics such as developing breasts. Xeno-estrogens, as these particular toxins are called, have been associated with an elevated risk of estrogen-driven diseases like breast and ovarian cancers and endometriosis.
HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT
All this fake estrogen overwhelms your bodyâs testosteronewhich is vital for hormone balanceand contributes to estrogen overload. Testosterone contributes to muscle growth, which in turn supports metabolism. And, as we already know, estrogen overload raises insulin insensitivity. The combination adds pounds to your frame: A study from Sweden published in the journal Chemosphere showed that exposure to a particular type of pesticide called organochloride was linked to a weight gain of 9½ pounds over 50 years.
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Ways To Balance Hormones Naturally
Home > Blog > Hormones | November 25, 2022
Hormones are powerful chemicals that tell the body what to do and when to do it. When you have a hormone imbalance, it can affect every part of your body. You may experience mood swings, sleep problems, memory issues, fatigue, weight gain, and more. Luckily, most hormone imbalances are reversible. Follow these ten ways to naturally balance your hormones, improve your health, and find the relief you desire.
What Causes Hormone Imbalances
The world we live in today is filled with so many things that will affect our hormones and how well they remain balanced throughout the day – hint: stress is one of the biggest influencers on our hormones. Other factors that may contribute to a hormone imbalance are medications, diet, environmental toxins, exercise and many more!
Focusing on implementing a new practice daily for 7 days is the best way to start supporting your hormones in the journey of achieving natural hormone balance.
Hormones are there to help us, and they give our bodies cues on what to do and when. They will control how we feel , what we eat , how much energy we have in a day for work, play and everything else in between. When our hormones start to get out of balance it can have serious impact on the way we live our lives. It can make us feel out of control, anxious and/or just plain depressed.
Our constant exposure to toxins and chemicals can get our hormones seriously out of whack. The good news is that there are many ways we can help our bodies naturally reset our hormones back to a balanced state. To reset your hormones, you will need to address the root cause of your issues and get back in balance. It all starts with a hormone reset diet, lifestyle and exercise regime.
Are you ready to take the challenge and naturally balance your hormones?
Now, lets break down some of the daily habits well be covering in the challenge:
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What Native Greens Can Do For Your Hormones
So you got your greens in for the dayWhat does that mean for you?While theres a wide array of benefits linked to eating your veggies, were honing in on one specific benefit: Hormone Balance.Your hormones are in charge of much more than meets the eyeThink: Growth and development, electrolyte balance, menstrual cycle, metabolism, and reproduction .But there are many things in our day-to-day life that can disrupt these powerhouses of ours:Sugary, processed foods. Too much caffeine. Not enough sleep. Little to no exercise. Pesticides. A lack of fruits and vegetables.As you now know, we have a solution to one of those disruptors: Fruits and veggies.When you consume your greens through a supplement like Native Nutrients, youre able to support your endocrine system and put your hormones back into balance.Heres how: There are two systems within the body that are responsible for communicating withthe rest of the bodythe nervous system and the hormonal system.Think of these two systems as having walkie-talkies. They relay information between different body regions, notify when the body needs certain hormones, and maintain homeostasis within the body.
Learn How To Balance Your Unique Hormonal Imbalance Naturally
Balancing your hormones is a complicated process and takes time. It will often take up to 3 menstrual cycles to fully experience the benefits of bringing your hormones back in to balance. Unfortunately, there isnt one quick fix or magic solution which will fix all of your period problems. Addressing diet, lifestyle, stress, exercise, mindset and emotional and spiritual health are the cornerstones to improving your hormone health.
To get you started, Im sharing my top 6 tips to begin balancing your hormones naturally. These are a great place to start if you are new to hormonal imbalances, and will give you a taste of addressing your symptoms naturally.
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How To Include Turmeric In Your Diet To Support Hormone Balance:
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Start with 1tsp per day added into smoothies, curries, turmeric lattes, warm drinks, stir-fries
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Try sprinkling it over eggs or toast
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Try my Warming Golden Milk Recipe: download my 7 Day Hormone Reset Program to gain access to this recipe
So there you have it, you have taken amazing steps in 7 days that will have you on the road to achieving balanced hormones naturally. Adding these habits into our daily routine can have such positive affects on our overall hormonal health and balance our hormones. Remember, if our hormones are balanced the way they are meant to be, you can avoid asking yourself the questions such as Is this normal to be in this much pain during my period? Why am I so irritable? Why am I constantly breaking out?.
Most importantly, now you should be able to answer the question: How can I reset my hormones in just 7 days?
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How Are Hormonal Imbalances Diagnosed
Healthcare providers typically order blood tests to check hormone levels since your endocrine glands release hormones directly into your bloodstream.
Certain hormone levels vary drastically throughout the day, so providers may order other tests to measure your levels, such as a glucose tolerance test or insulin tolerance test.
Your provider will also ask you about your medical history and symptoms and perform a physical exam.
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Beware Of Medications And Birth Control
Are you aware of your medications side effects? Some can disrupt your hormone balance, leading to side effects like fatigue, appetite changes, altered sleeping patterns, low libido, sadness and even depression.
Some medications that can mess with your hormone balance include corticosteroids, stimulants, statins, dopamine agonists, rexinoids and glucocorticoids. Beware of your medications, talk to your doctor about the side effects and research natural alternatives whenever possible.
Birth control is another medication that alters hormone levels. The pill is a type of hormone therapy that raises estrogen levels to levels that can cause many complications.
Studies show that the health risks of taking them, especially long term, may include issues like:
- Breakthrough bleeding between cycles
- Increased risk of uterine bleeding, blood clotting, heart attack and stroke
- Breast tenderness
Hormone Imbalance: What Are The Symptoms And Treatments
When youre browsing social media or watching TV, you may have come across ads telling you to ask your doctor to check your hormones as the first step toward diagnosing and relieving a troublesome set of symptoms. Its true that hormone imbalances can be associated with many problems, such as period problems, unwanted hair growth, fertility struggles, weight gain, and even difficulty sleeping. You should absolutely talk to your doctor about these things. But you may be surprised when your doctor tells you that they cant just give you a hormone check.
A hormone check sounds simpleafter all, we check cholesterol to get a handle on our heart health. However, your doctor cant just give you a hormone test because a single test to check all your hormones doesnt exist.
So if there isnt a simple hormone test, how does your doctor discover hormone imbalances? And how can you learn what could be causing your symptoms?
Lets look at problems caused by hormone imbalances and how your doctor could potentially determine which hormones may be responsible for your symptoms.
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Top 10 Foods To Restore Hormone Balance
Hormones have a huge impact on our overall health and well being as they affect everything from our menstrual cycles to health issues such as PCOS, Thyroid, PMT and Endometriosis. Nutrition can be a powerful tool when addressing hormone imbalances as when hormones are in harmony you reclaim your life back! Here are my top 10 foods to eat to help restore hormone balance.
Also read my read post on: Top 10 Daily habits to promote Hormone Balance
Be Wary Of Dairy Products
Dairy is an important source of nutrients for many people. However, females concerned about levels of reproductive hormones may wish to use caution, especially before consuming cream or yogurt.
A 2017 study notes that eating dairy can reduce levels of some protective hormones.
In addition, the authors point to an association between eating cream and yogurt and missing ovulation. The link is unclear, and the researchers call for further studies.
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Let North Valley Womens Care Help You Get Your Life Back On Track
An imbalance in your hormones may increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. Talk to us and learn more about it!
North Valley Womens Care is here to provide top-quality, comprehensive medical services for all womens medical needs! We offer the Best Womens OBGYN in Phoenix, AZ.
Contact us and book an appointment with us today to know!
Have some questions? Share it through the comments below and we would love to answer it.