Practice This Detox Yoga Position
While a regular yoga practice going to a class or simply stretching at home can improve numerous aspects of health, there is one particular yoga pose that I believe offers a profound ability to balance hormones naturally. Its called Legs Up The Wall, which describes it pretty accurately! Heres a picture to show you what the pose looks like it is suitable for every body type and fitness level.
In this pose, lymphatic circulation in the lower body is maximized. As the garbage disposal of the body, the lymphatic system collects and carries lymphatic fluid so the toxins in this fluid can be eliminated from the body. Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system doesnt have a pump and relies on our movements and gravity to circulate lymph fluid.
When we sit all day, the lymph fluid becomes stagnant and toxins collect. To balance hormones naturally, we need to eliminate these from the body and keep the lymph flowing. By reversing the flow of gravity in your legs, you circulate the lymphatic fluid and encourage the elimination of toxins.
You Have Flaky Itchy Skin
Dry patches are one of the first signs that your thyroid hormone level is low. “These hormones help set your metabolic rate; when you don’t have enough, all systems become sluggish,” says John Randolph, M.D., an ob-gyn and a reproductive endocrinologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The rate at which your skin cells turn over slows, resulting in dryness, redness, and rashes.;
Get back on track: See your doc if your skin is still desert-dry after a month of slathering it with moisturizer, especially if you notice any other signs of an underactive thyroid, such as unexplained weight gain, brittle nails and hair, or if your periods become irregular or MIA, says Dr. Isaacs. He or she will give you a simple blood test to diagnose the disorder, which is usually treated with a synthetic hormone medication that you will need to take long-term. “Skin symptoms should clear up within two to three months,” says Dr. Isaacs.
Pms And Low Sex Drive
Low testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are all associated with a decreased sex drive in both men and women. This is especially common after age 50 when estrogen and testosterone production declines. Since estrogen is one of the main hormones regulating a womans menstrual cycle a decrease in production can also lead to irregular periods that are too long, too short, unpredictable, heavy, or painful, infertility, hot flashes, mood swings, or painful intercourse.
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What Are The Signs Of Hormone Imbalance In Men
Many concerns surrounding a man’s bodily changes can be answered by fluctuations in the male hormonal makeup. If changes are being identified, it may be a good idea to see whether there are any deficiencies or overabundance in the body’s chemistry.
1- Low Testosterone: This is also known as Low-T and is defined by the American Urology Association as testosterone in the blood accounting for less than 300ng/dL .
Signs of Low-T include:
- Hot Flashes
- Trouble Concentrating
2- Increased Estrogen: An increase in estrogen production in a mans body can cause a condition called gynecomastia. This is where you begin to develop breasts. Increased estrogen levels can also cause problems with your prostate organ that is in charge of producing one of the fluids that make up semen. Obesity can increase the production of estrogen in a mans body.
3- Low Cortisol/Adrenal Fatigue: Men suffering adrenal fatigue often have difficulty focusing mentally and are excessively tired.
4- Hyperthyroidism/Overactive Thyroid: Signs of high levels of thyroid hormone in your body include:
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Increased Sensitivity to cold
Symptoms Of Vaginal Atrophy
While vaginal atrophy is common, only 20 to 25 percent of symptomatic women seek medical attention from their doctor.
In some women, symptoms occur during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause. In other women, symptoms may not appear until years later, if ever.
Symptoms can include:
The cause of atrophic vaginitis is a decline in estrogen. Without estrogen, vaginal tissue thins and dries out. It becomes less elastic, more fragile, and more easily injured.
A decline in estrogen can occur at other times besides menopause, including:
- during breastfeeding
- after removal of ovaries
- after chemotherapy for treatment of cancer
- after pelvic radiation therapy for treatment of cancer
- after hormonal therapy for treatment of breast cancer
Regular sexual activity helps keep vaginal tissues healthy. A healthy sex life also benefits the circulatory system and improves heart health.
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Support Hormone Balance With Metabolic Hydration
Did you know that Dr. Howard Murad, the skincare expert and creator of Murad skincare, does not recommend drinking 8 glasses of water per day? Instead, he suggests eating your water obtaining nutrient-rich water from fresh fruits and vegetables.
Although were told from every corner of the internet to consume 8 glasses of water per day, there is actually no evidence that drinking this much water is beneficial. As Dr. Murad acknowledges, drinking this much water can actually deplete electrolytes and therefore cause dehydration and premature aging of the skin.;
I practice metabolic hydration, which I explain here, a very simple and intuitive method of hydration to optimize cellular hydration. Metabolic hydration is an important step for many individuals to help balance hormones naturally, because it supports the thyroid and adrenal glands.
How To Test Your Hormones At Home
My gold standard is a blood draw for serum testing, but its hard to get a blood draw during a pandemic! There are convenient, reliable alternatives for many biomarkers. In the video, I talk about the blood spot test from ZRT Labs. I also love the dried urine test for hormone metabolism and to follow certain hormones in my patients on bioidentical hormone therapy. Occasionally I will run saliva tests but only for limited indications.
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Female Hormone Imbalance: What Is It
Hormonal imbalance occurs when the amount of estrogen, progesterone or both is altered, disturbing the delicate balance between these powerful hormones. Imbalances in these vital female hormones can stem from a number of underlying causes. The most common cause is perimenopause, the transitional phase leading up to menopause, during which the production of estrogens and progesterone begin to decline. Other common causes of hormonal imbalance include pregnancy, endocrine disorders, certain drugs, especially oral contraceptives, drugs used in hormone replacement therapy and cancer medications, and lifestyle factors that include stress, overweight or obesity, poor diet, sleep deprivation and lack of exercise.
Hormone Balancing Tip #: Support Hormone Detoxification
Our liver and gut are the two major organs responsible for breaking down and clearing hormones once they have been used in the body. It’s so important that these systems are working properly to prevent build-up of hormones which contributes to hormonal imbalances. Heres a brief overview of how to support these two systems of detoxification .
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Improve Hormones With A Hug
Last but not least, the simplest method of all to help balance hormones naturally: give your significant other a long hug! According to neuroeconomist Paul Zak in his 2011 TedTalk, a 20 second hug with a romantic partner has been shown to spike oxytoxcin, the Happiness Hormone.;
Are you struggling with hormone balance? Have you used any of these tips?;
Common Signs Of A Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers and coordinate some of our most complex functions. But what happens when they go awry? We ask an endocrinologist and a gynaecologist to explore the most common hormone imbalances.
Reviewed byDr Colin Tidy
18-Jul-19·6 mins read
Seven years ago Rachael, now 28, went to A&E coiling over in severe pain. The pain radiated from her abdomen to her lower back, and it was difficult to pinpoint its origin. An ultrasound identified a large ovarian cyst which she had removed via surgery.
“I also experienced unwanted hair growth on my face and chest, weight gain, and very unpredictable periods,” says Rachael.
She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome , a condition related to abnormal hormone levels in the body, including high levels of insulin and excess androgens .
Now an adult, Alexandra remembers the difficulty she had concentrating as a 12 year old. “I was sleepless, big-eyed and had severe mind fog. I couldn’t sit still, follow a conversation or concentrate on anything. I had tremors and a resting heart rate of 119. A GP took both my hands and asked me to put my arms straight out with palms down and try to keep them steady. I couldn’t. I was referred to an endocrinologist who diagnosed an overactive thyroid.”
Both Alexandra and Rachael suffer from hormone imbalances.
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Learn How Your Hormones Work Together
The first half of the menstrual cycle is called the follicular phase and is where you experience a rise in follicle stimulating hormone as several of your follicles begin their final race to ovulation. These growing follicles release the hormone estrogen in higher and higher amounts. Luteinising hormone then triggers ovulation the bursting open of a dominant follicle.
Following ovulation, there is a steep decline in estrogen. The sack which contained the egg begins to secrete another hormone: progesterone which increases and becomes our dominant hormone in the second half of the menstrual cycle which is known as the luteal phase.
Each of these two phases last roughly two weeks in a typical cycle. If your cycle is longer than 28 days, the first half of the cycle will be longer, with the second half usually remaining around two weeks. After this second two-week phase, if your egg is not fertilised, the lining which has grown to support a potential pregnancy will be shed in the form of your period. The is accompanied by a sharp drop in all hormone levels as you return to baseline. This bleed becomes day 1 of your new cycle, and the process begins again.
What’s Considered Too High Or Too Low For Hormone Levels
Hormone levels are typically measured using blood tests or urine tests.
Evaluating the results of hormone blood tests involves what are called “reference ranges.” Reference ranges are the range of values for a physiological measurement for the middle 95% of the healthy population. Each provider of their test will use a specific lab to measure the results, and each lab has its own reference range. Out-of-range results indicate that levels are higher or lower than “average” .
For people with ovaries, some of the most important hormones to reproductive health and fertility include sex hormones and thyroid hormones. Modern Fertility can measure three hormones in those two groups: the estrogen estradiol , thyroid-stimulating hormone , and prolactin.
These are the “normal” reference ranges Modern Fertility uses for sex hormones and thyroid hormones in people during their reproductive years:
- E2: 22.4-115 picograms per milliliter for premenopausal people with ovaries on day 3 of their cycles
- TSH: 0.4-4.5 milli international units per milliliter for all people with ovaries
- Prolactin: 3.4-26.7 nanograms per milliliter for nonpregnant people with ovaries
These are possible reference ranges for the other hormones we talk about in the next few sections :
- Progesterone: <3 ng/mL for premenopausal people with ovaries mid-cycle
- Total testosterone: >0.75 ng/dL for people with ovaries
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Learn To Manage Stress
Stress can wreak havoc on your hormones. Two major hormones affected by stress are cortisol and adrenaline, which is also called epinephrine.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it helps your body cope with stress over the long term.
Adrenaline is the fight-or-flight hormone that provides your body with a surge of energy to respond to immediate danger.
However, unlike hundreds of years ago when these hormones were mainly triggered by threats from predators, today theyre usually triggered by peoples busy, often overwhelming lifestyles.
Unfortunately, chronic stress causes cortisol levels to remain elevated, which can lead to excessive calorie intake and obesity, including increased belly fat (
37 ).
A 2005 review of studies found that massage therapy not only reduced cortisol levels by an average of 31%, but also increased levels of the mood-boosting hormone serotonin by 28% and dopamine by 31%, on average .
Try to devote at least 1015 minutes per day to stress-reducing activities, even if you dont feel you have the time.
Summary:
Engaging in stress-reduction behaviors like meditation, yoga, massage and listening to soothing music can help normalize your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
What Are Irregular Periods
Most women have menstrual cycles that last between 21 and 35 days. Up to one quarter of women experience irregular periods. This includes having periods that are shorter or longer than usual or periods that are lighter or heavier than usual. Some women who have irregular periods may experience abdominal cramping or a lack of ovulation. Amenorrhea is a medical term that refers to an absence of periods for at least 3 months even though a woman is not pregnant. Menorrhagia is the term that means excessive menstrual bleeding. Dysmenorrhea refers to pain and cramping during periods. Prolonged menstrual bleeding involves periods in which bleeding routinely lasts for 8 days or longer. Oligomenorrhea is a condition in which periods occur infrequently or more than every 35 days. See your doctor if you believe hormonal imbalance is affecting your menstrual cycle.
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Eat Egg Yolks To Balance Hormones
Weve been throwing egg yolks down the drain due to cholesterol-paranoia, but it turns out that the yolk provides the most valuable nutrition.
Here are just a few of the nutrition highlights that allow egg yolks help balance hormones:
- Vitamin A Like we discussed, we need vitamin A to balance hormones and we cant get it from vegetables. Egg yolks provides REAL vitamin A!
- Vitamin D Vitamin D actually works more like a steroid hormone in the body, so it is vital to balanced hormones to receive enough of this fat-soluble vitamin.
- Selenium Selenium is necessary for the conversion of thyroid hormones from the inactive form to the active form. Egg yolks are natures thyroid support supplement, due to the selenium content, vitamin content and healthful fats.
- Cholesterol Did you know that studies show that low cholesterol shares an extremely strong correlation to depression, suicide and acts of violence? The cholesterol in egg yolks helps balance hormones by providing a mandatory component of sex hormones.
What Are The Types Of Hormonal Imbalance In Men
Testosterone is considered the primary male hormone, along with other hormones like cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones. Imbalance in any of these hormones may result in any of the 4 main types of hormonal imbalance in men.
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Ways To Naturally Balance Your Hormones
Hormonal imbalances are common in todays day and age, because of our fast-paced lifestyles and poor food and exercise habits.
However, there are ways to naturally keep your hormones balanced. Here are some tips that will help you get started:
A nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle choices may help keep your hormonal health in check. However, consult your doctor and discuss a way forward for your diet.
How To Keep Hormones Balanced Before Things Go Awry
What’s easier than figuring out how to balance hormones? Keeping them at healthy levels to begin with. To keep your hormones from getting out of whack, eat right, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. And take time to relax and unwind. Women with a lot of job stress are 38 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease, in part because of chronically high cortisol levels, a study in the journal PLOS One found. Luckily, healthy lifestyle habits can offset the effect that stress has on your ticker, other new research revealed.
What’s more, your gut microbiome does way more than aid digestion. It affects your brain, stress, sex, metabolism, immune system, and hormones, according to a report in the journal FEMS Microbiology Reviews. The bacteria in our guts release chemicals and hormones that influence our health and how we think and feel, says Marc Tetel, Ph.D., a neuroscience professor at Wellesley College. The key is to keep your bugs healthy and balanced so they perform at their optimum level. Get started with this three-point plan.
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