How To Change Hormone Imbalance

What Conditions Are Caused By Hormonal Imbalances

Dozens of medical conditions are caused by hormone issues. For most hormones, having too much or too little of them causes symptoms and issues with your health. While many of these imbalances require treatment, some can be temporary and may go away on their own. Some of the most common hormone-related conditions include:

The Negative Impact Of Hormone Imbalance And How We Can Help

Hormones help regulate many of your bodily functions. They help you sleep through the night, have babies, grow hair, grow your body, metabolize food, and keep you warm, to name just a few functions that rely on hormones.

If your hormones are imbalanced, this imbalance can have a significant impact on your body, mind, or mood. Everyone has imbalances on occasion like during times of intense stress or, for women, just before or after a menstrual period. Women also experience imbalances during pregnancy, perimenopause , and menopause.

Hormone imbalances usually happen when your endocrine glands, which produce and release hormones, are out of whack. The improper functioning of your endocrine glands can be brought on by many things including:

• Certain medications

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What Is A Hormone Imbalance

Are you irritable, moody, and exhausted all the time, yet have trouble sleeping? Gaining weight despite diet and exercise? You are not alone. Up to 75% of women report suffering from symptoms that could be attributed to a hormone imbalance!

Hormones are important chemical messengers in our bodies such as Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, Cortisol, Thyroid, DHEA, and Vitamin D. They are produced in one type of tissue and then move through the bloodstream to other parts of the body delivering messages for that part of the body to do something specific. When the messages get disrupted, it can have significant downstream implications.

Estrogen dominance is one of the most common hormone imbalance problems for women and that is a big deal because it has literally hundreds of functions in a womans body. It is a common condition that can develop from a variety of causes such as excess body fat, environmental estrogens , poor digestion, chronic stress, and adrenal issues.

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Hormone Balancing Tip #: Balance Blood Sugar

Having balanced blood sugar means that your body produces a normal insulin response when you consume food. A balanced meal includes good quality fat, protein, and fibre. A balanced plate might look something like this:

12 of your plate greens and vegetables 14 of your plate good quality protein 14 of your plate complex carbs 1-2 tablespoons of healthy fats

Here at Nourished, we wanted women to have an easy way to get started on their blood sugar balancing journey. We created a 100% natural vitamin for you to get started on your journey. Click the button below to see more info and add our Blood Sugar Balance vitamin to your cart.

What Vitamins Help Balance Hormones

Relief is possible, with the right approach.A healthy diet is key. When it comes to getting all the essential macronutrients and micronutrients necessary to balance hormones, we should always turn to food first. Magnesium. B vitamins. Probiotics. Liver-enhancing nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D3.

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Natural Remedies And Supplements

Many nutritional supplements on the market claim to treat menopause and hormonal imbalance. However, few of them are backed up by scientific evidence.

Many of these supplements contain plant-derived hormones. These are sometimes called bioidentical hormones, because they chemically resemble the bodys natural hormones. Theres no evidence to suggest that they work better than regular hormone therapy, however.

Some people find that yoga helps ease symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Yoga is excellent for your strength, flexibility, and balance. It may also aid in weight loss, which can help regulate your hormones.

You can also make the following lifestyle changes:

• Lose weight. If your doctor has recommended it, a reduction in body weight may help regulate menstrual cycles and increase the chances of getting pregnant. Weight loss may also help improve erectile function.
• Eat well. A balanced diet is an important part of overall health.
• Use lubes or moisturizers free of parabens, glycerin, and petroleum.
• Avoid hot flash triggers when possible. Try to identify things that commonly trigger your hot flashes, such as warm temperatures, spicy foods, or hot beverages.
• Remove unwanted hair. If you have excess facial or body hair, you can use hair removal cream, laser hair removal, or electrolysis.

The primary cause of acne is excess oil production, which leads to clogged pores. Acne is most common in areas with many oil glands, including the:

Eat More Hormone Hero Foods

• Some foods have a beneficial affect on hormones:

• Turmeric – a phenomenal anti-inflammatory agent

• Avocado – which contains beta-sitosterol, which naturally reduces cortisol

• Dark leafy greens – they help fight inflammation and lower cortisol

• Cruciferous vegetables – they can help keep estrogen at a healthy level

• Eggs — they have been shown to lower levels of insulin and the hunger hormone ghrelin.

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Eat For Your Hormones

Want to know another enemy of hormone balance? Sugar. This addictive substance causes spikes and dips in insulin levels that can leave you reaching for more and more, as well as throwing the rest of your body into chaos.The best way to ward off the sugar-driven roller coaster is to support your body with plenty of protein and healthy fats. These substances will help you feel full longer, without causing the crash that comes after consuming too many carbs. Fats also serve as the building blocks of your hormones. Your body cant make what you need when you dont supply it with the necessary parts, so making sure you have enough healthy fat in your diet is a sure way to keep your body functioning properly!Some of my favorite ways to get these nutrients are with my green breakfast smoothies. Check out some inspiration here to get your morning started in a healthy way!

Show Your Liver Some Love

Detoxing your hormones is a crucial step to hormone healing. Your liver serves as the filtration system to cycle out the excess hormones and toxins that are circulating in your body.Estrogen dominance is an issue almost ALL women in perimenopause and menopause are facing right now. When your estrogen levels remain disproportionate to your progesterone, it is a recipe for hormone disaster that is behind all the symptoms weve been discussing so far. You can even be dealing with estrogen dominance if your labs show LOW estrogen because its all about the balance.If your liver becomes clogged up and sluggish, its a recipe for hormone disaster because it wont cycle out the excess estrogen that your body needs to get rid of. Thats why it is so important to show your liver some love with quality self-care, powerful essential oils, nutritious food choices, and more.

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Hormone Balance Supplements And A Balanced Diet Vs Hrt: Whats Right For You

As you can see, addressing the hormonal changes that come with menopause can sometimes mean walking a tightrope between finding relief and staying healthy over the long haul.

Hormone replacement therapy is a viable option for many women. Contact OB/GYN Associates of Alabama to schedule an appointment and learn more about your treatment options for menopause.

Balanced Hormones And Improved Skin Health

Another client saw dramatic improvements in her skin health just a few days into starting a targeted food and supplement plan.

Over the years, she had tried virtually everything to treat her acne. Feeling overwhelmingly frustrated, she resorted to harsh cleaning routines and covering up.

Simply put, she was at a loss as the reasons for her acne outbreaks, until she was educated about the role food and inflammation play in hormones and acne formation.

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Supplement To Fill Nutritional Voids

While a healthy diet is key for all aspects of health, its sometimes necessary to supplement in order to fill nutritional voids that can be leading to a hormone imbalance.

Here are the top supplements to focus on in order to balance hormones:

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil contains omega-6 fatty acids, such as GLA, that support overall hormonal function. Supplementing with evening primrose oil can help relieve premenstrual and PCOS symptoms. It also helps to create a healthy environment for conception.

Vitamin D

What is the best vitamins to take for hormonal imbalance? Vitamin D is definitely one of them, since it almost acts like a hormone inside the body and has important implications for keeping inflammation levels low.

This is why people who live in dark areas often suffer from seasonal depression and other health problems unless they supplement with vitamin D. Sunshine is really the best way to optimize vitamin D levels because your bare skin actually makes vitamin D on its own when exposed to even small amounts of direct sunlight.

Most people should supplement with around 2,0005,000 international units daily of vitamin D3 if they live in dark areas, during the winter and on days when theyre not in the sun.

Bone Broth

Probiotics

Probiotics are healthy bacteria that can actually improve your production and regulation of key hormones like insulin, ghrelin and leptin. They can also aid in repairing your gut lining, which in turn can balance your hormones.

Skin Issues Acne And Hair Loss

Skin and hair issues are a common symptom of hormone imbalance, specifically due to thyroid problems, PCOS and ovary disfunction.

Some people think that collagen helps with hair growth, while others do not.

You might also experience dry hair or skin, brittle nails, vaginal dryness, pain during sex and irregular menstrual cycles. Acne in particular can be caused by higher levels or testosterone. But in most cases, you can treat it by using anti-androgen medications and corticosteroids.

Recommended Reading: How To Calm Hormonal Acne

Do Hormone Fluctuations Cause Moodiness

Changing hormone levels are linked to mood swings. Particularly in women, its believed that hormone levels affect the sensitivity of the neurotransmitter systems. As hormone levels change, people can experience more or less activity in certain areas of the brain. This can lead to emotional symptoms or even mental health challenges like depression.

Try Some Of The Strategies To Help You Manage Stress:

• Learn to say no

• Protein with every meal to stabilise blood sugar and moods

• Regular exercise that you enjoy and is not too strenuous

• Time outdoors: barefoot on the ground

When it comes to supplementation, ashwagandha is an incredible natural solution. Here at Nourished we have created the purest ashwagandga supplement on the market, our Calm + De-stress vitamin. It is made in the USA, FDA certified and 100% natural.

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How Is A Hormonal Imbalance Diagnosed

First, make an appointment with a health care provider for a physical exam. The health care provider will ask about your symptoms. Then, depending on your symptoms, they will suggest which hormone imbalance tests to do. These could be evaluations like:

• Blood test: Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroxine, TTH, insulin, and cortisol levels can be detected in the blood.
• Pelvic exam: A health care provider will search for any lumps or cysts.
• Ultrasound: Images of your uterus, ovaries, thyroid, and pituitary gland can be obtained.

Symptoms Of Hormone Changes

Estrogen plays a crucial role in many physiological functions. Therefore, as its levels decrease, women may experience a variety of physical and psychological symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of menopausal hormone changes include:

For example, genetics play a vital role. Women can get some idea of what to expect by discussing menopause with close female relatives who have already been through the experience.

Furthermore, being active, eating well, and not smoking are associated with fewer menopausal symptoms. Therefore, it is possible to make the menopausal transition smoother by establishing healthy habits.

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What Happens When These Hormones Become Imbalanced

When there is an excess of estrogen in your system, this can lead to heavy and painful periods, sore breasts, PMS, and weight retention around thighs and hips. The causes of estrogen excess include higher production from ovaries and poor metabolism and detoxification.

Low estrogen can also have negative effects on your health, which include low libido, missing periods, or very long cycles. The causes for low estrogen include under-eating, over-exercising, stress, and smoking.

The consequences of low progesterone include PMS, spotting before period begins, anxiety, and prolonged bleeding. The causes of low progesterone include stress and not ovulating.

Having high testosterone can cause acne, male pattern hair growth, hair loss, and irregular cycles. It is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome , which is associated with irregular cycles and excess androgens .

Skin And Hair Changes

Acne. A sudden increase in acne is one easy way to identify a possible hormonal imbalance. One of the few hormones involved is androgens. Androgens, typically referred to as male hormones, but found in both males and females, regulate your skins sebum production. If your body produces androgens in excess, sebum can build up in your pores and cause a pimple to surface.

Hair loss. The quality and vitality of your hair is also directly related to your hormones. Thyroid abnormalities, for example, may cause dry hair or skin, thinning hair, or brittle nails. Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and parathyroid disorder can also cause hair loss.

Recommended Reading: How Long For Hormones To Balance After Stopping Birth Control

How Are Hormonal Imbalances Treated

Treatment for a hormonal imbalance will depend on whats causing it.

If you have lower-than-normal hormone levels, the main treatment is hormone replacement therapy. Depending on which hormone is deficient, you may take oral medication or injection medication.

For example, if you have low thyroid hormone levels , your provider can prescribe synthetic thyroid hormone pills. If you have growth hormone deficiency, youll likely have to take injections of synthetic growth hormone.

If you have higher-than-normal hormone levels, there are many treatment options depending on the cause. Options include medication, surgery, radiation therapy or a combination of any of these.

For example, if you have a prolactinoma, a benign tumor that causes excess prolactin , your provider may prescribe a medication to shrink the tumor or you may need surgery to remove it.

Thyroid: The Mood & Energy Regulator

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in your lower neck that plays a powerful role in keeping your brain and body healthy. This gland regulates how your body uses energy, and it also has a strong impact on the brain because it controls the production of many neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. Problems occur when thyroid dysfunction causes the gland to produce too little hormone or too much hormone .

Hypothyroidism: Brain SPECT scans of people with hypothyroidism show overall decreased brain activity, which often leads to depression, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and brain fog.

Hyperthyroidism: An overactive thyroid produces too much hormone, making everything in your body work too fast. It can feel like youre in hyper-driveyou feel jittery and edgy, as though youve had way too much caffeine.

Common Symptoms of Thyroid Dysfunction

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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.

How To Naturally Balance Hormones

Hormone ups and downs are a fact of life, but you shouldn’t have to put up with uncomfortable or unwelcome side effects of extreme fluctuations.

While doctors may prescribe medications for diagnosed hormone disorders or for specific times in life such as menopause, there are many things you can do naturally to encourage hormone balance.

Some lifestyle modifications are known to be effective.

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Weight Gain Or Difficulty Losing Weight

You might also have difficulties losing weight. That is because thyroid hormones like estrogen and cortisol are responsible for running our metabolism which regulates our weight.

PCOS in particular can lead to weight gain. Another health issue called Cushing’s disease also leads to weight gain because it causes our bodies to make too much cortisol.

Low Libido And Fertility Problems

Changes in estrogen and testosterone can cause a loss of sex drive and infertility. Estrogen fluctuations cause disruptions in ovulation and irregular menstruation. These changes can make pregnancy difficult. In men, testosterone imbalances can lead to erectile dysfunction and poor sperm production. Look for these signs and reach out to a doctor to confirm if the symptoms are hormone-related.

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Excess Cortisol From Stress

Stress, whether due to emotional reasons, major life events, or physical stress from things like having a baby, can cause hair fall. If the stress trigger is temporary, then as the pressure eases, hair should start growing again. But if you live a life that is fraught with constant stress triggers, alternative therapy can help bring back the balance of stress hormones like cortisol.

Ayurvedic remedy ashwagandha can ease stress and anxiety by regulating stress-hormone cortisol levels in the body. This adaptogenic property allows your body to recover better from stress by raising or lowering cortisol hormone levels when they are too low or too high.14Use yoga or meditation to help relax your body and mind and manage stress better so it does not wreak havoc on your hormone levels.

References

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