Struggling With Sugar Cravings
In Hormone Harmony Academy I teach my Get Off The Sugar Roller Coaster Protocol where I take you step-by-step through how to create balanced meals that leave you feeling satisfied, full for hours and not experiencing massive dips in energy. I also share my top 6 Tips To Instantly Beat Sugar Cravings when they strike . Ready to get off the sugar roller coaster and stop craving sweets? Find out more about my online course here.
Fenugreek Seed To Balance Female Hormones
Fenugreek seed contains phytoestrogens, which help balance estrogen, making it an excellent herb to balance female hormones. Studies show that fenugreek may help painful periods . This herb may also help to increase low testosterone and improve low libido in women . Fenugreek can be found in tea, supplements, or spices.
Stop Taking Hormonal Birth Control
The hormone-disrupting affects of hormonal birth control may be the reason some of you are reading this post. The Pill and all other forms of hormonal birth control create a cascade of hormonal imbalance in your body by creating nutritional deficiencies and disrupting gut bacteria.
Are you ready to balance hormones and ditch The Pill? Then apply the tips Ive discussed here to balance hormones and also read these 4 ways to balance hormones post-Pill.
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Does It Allow For Dietary Restrictions Or Preferences
Vegetarians and vegans: The diet includes protein sources that would work for you.
Gluten-free: You give up gluten for the first 2 weeks of this diet. After that, gluten isn’t completely off-limits. Turner does advise readers to avoid some processed carbs, like white flour and white rice, and to steer clear of any foods that they felt they had a bad reaction to after the detox phase.
Hormone Balance And Tummy Trouble
Cells lining the gastrointestinal tract have receptors for both estrogen and progesterone. Levels of these hormones change throughout the course of a womans monthly menstrual cycle. When they do, they impact the function of the gastrointestinal system. Women often experience abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and nausea before or during their periods. These symptoms can also occur with many other conditions. If a woman experiences them along with mood changes and fatigue before or during her period, it may be more likely that the GI disturbances are occurring due to monthly hormonal fluctuations.
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Make Eating Into A Mindful Practice
What you eat is just as important as when and how you eat.
In order to maintain whats known as balanced blood sugar which means youre keeping your blood sugar in a rather straight line versus having big spikes and dips throughout the day you should be eating every three to four hours.
Please dont wait until youre starving, have the shakes, feel like youll throw up, or faint. In addition, follow these rules at mealtime. Slooowww it down, girlfriend.
Sit down while eating , chew your food 20 to 30 times , and focus on something positive while eating. When youre stressed out, your gut cant easily absorb the nutrients youre consuming, so it doesnt matter how much broccoli you eat!
Key Hormone #: Estrogen
The first hormone is estradiol this is the form of estrogen produced in the greatest amounts by women of childbearing age. Estrogen is considered the happy hormone, because it boosts neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which gives us a sense of pleasure and motivation. It is also great for:
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strong bones
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Irregular cycles
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How To Balance Hormones Naturally
1. Swap Carbs for Healthy Fats
Foods that balance hormones include a variety of fat-containing foods that provide short, medium and long-chain fatty acids. Your body needs various types of fats to create hormones, including saturated fat and cholesterol.
Not only are these essential fats fundamental building blocks for hormone production, but they keep inflammation levels low, boost your metabolism and promote weight loss.
Healthy fats have the opposite effect of refined carbohydrates, which lead to inflammation and can mess with the balance of your hormones.
My four favorite sources of anti-inflammatory, healthy fats include:
- coconut oil, avocados, grass-fed butter and wild-caught salmon.
- Coconut oil uses are plentiful for example, coconut oil has natural anti-bacterial and fat-burning effects.
- Avocado benefits include improving heart health, lowering inflammation, controlling your appetite and contributing to your daily intake of fiber and nutrients such as potassium.
- Salmon nutrition is also impressive: its one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to lower inflammation and help with cognitive functions. Omega-3 fatty acids are a large component of brain-cell membranes and are important for cell-to-cell communication in the brain. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help protect against hippocampal neuronal loss and reduce pro-inflammatory responses.
2. Supplement to Fill Nutritional Voids
3. Address Emotional Imbalances
6. Get More Sleep
Get Sunlight First Thing In The Morning
Sunlight exposure triggers the release of serotonin, a hormone that boosts mood and enables calm focus. Having low levels of serotonin is associated with a higher risk of depression and seasonal affective disorder. Furthermore, vitamin D is created by your body in response to sunlight exposure. Vitamin D isnt actually a vitamin, however its a prohormone or substance that your body converts to a hormone. Vitamin D helps regulate other hormones, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine production. It also helps prevent your serotonin levels from becoming depleted. Find out more about vitamin D here.
And just as a dark bedroom signals bedtime to your body, early morning sunlight tells your daytime cells to rise and shine.
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Risk Factors And Causes
Hormonal imbalances are multi-factorial disorders, meaning they are caused by a combination of factors such as your diet, medical history, genetics, stress levels and exposure to toxins from your environment.
Some of the major contributors to hormonal imbalances include:
- Food allergies and gut issues: An expanding field of new research shows that your gut health plays a significant role in hormone regulation. If you have leaky gut syndrome or a lack of beneficial probiotic bacteria lining your intestinal wall, youre more susceptible to hormonal problems, including diabetes and obesity. Thats because inflammation usually stems from your gut and then impacts nearly every aspect of your health.
- Being overweight or obese
- High amounts of stress, and a lack of enough sleep and rest
Adrenal dysfunction is the largest cause of the hormonal imbalance with the sex hormones especially because of something called the cortisol steal.
This occurs when cholesterol, which usually helps to make the sex hormones, combines with too much stress and the enzyme 17/20 lyase blocks the conversion the production of cortisol ensues. Cortisol then causes the imbalance of progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, which then decreases the sex drive.
Can Turmeric Help Balance Hormones
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and liver-protective properties that can be beneficial if youre struggling with hormonal imbalance. In addition, some research indicates that turmeric can help improve insulin resistance. This can be particularly helpful for PCOS, weight loss, acne and other hormonal imbalance symptoms that are linked to insulin resistance.
You can learn more about turmeric and get my simple turmeric milk recipe in this article on using turmeric for hormonal imbalance.
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Herbal And Alternative Medicine:
I love using herbal formulations with my patients in order to provide safe and effective relief for their symptoms. Herbals are a gentle way to treat for many symptoms such as hot flashes, painful periods, unpredictable periods, hormonal acne, fertility, sleep, and more! Here are some common herbal supplements to balance hormones and combat these unwanted issues
Unfortunately, there are so many wonderful herbal supplements to balance hormones that I cannot possibly mention them all. It is also important to know that there is more to herbs that simply checking what health issues they are indicated for. They also have synergistic properties, which means that some herbs work better together! A naturopathic doctor can come up with a herbal formula that is dosed safely and appropriately for your individualized health history and concerns. There are also pre-made supplements on the market which are formulated for hormone balance. My trustworthy brands in this category include Vitanica and Femenessence.
The Reason For This Is Because Hormonal Contraceptives Stop You Ovulating Thats Why They Are Contraceptives They Suppress Ovulation
So while ever you are taking the OCP or have an implant in the hormone levels from them over-rides your own natural levels and stops your follicles from maturing and releasing eggs. Which is great for contraception. But
It screws up the natural signalling between your brain and your ovaries. Your brain gets used to not signalling your ovaries to make hormones. So when you stop the OCP or have the Implanont or Mirena removed you dont have a normal hormonal rhythm.
And this is why your period might not come back or it is irregular.
So hormonal birth control is definitely not hormone balancing.
The only way you can truly rebalance your hormones is with the right foods, vitamins, minerals and herbs. Natural things that restore health and proper ovarian function. Pharmaceutical drugs cant do this.
But the real secret to rebalancing your hormones is not just willy-nilly trying different diets, herbs and nutritional supplements. You need to identify which of your hormones are out of balance.
Because there are different herbal and supplement protocols for different hormone imbalances.
For example in a condition like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome there can be imbalances not just with testosterone but also with oestrogen and progesterone.
If youre not getting a period or you get one very infrequently then it could be because oestrogen is low. Or testosterone is high. Or as is commonly the case stress hormones have shut down your menstrual cycle.
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Vitex To Balance Female Hormones
Vitex, also known as chasteberry, is used to treat a variety of different conditions, such as PMS, infertility, acne, and more. It is an ideal herb to balance female hormones. Vitex works by decreasing levels of prolactin, which in return balances out estrogen and progesterone . Chasteberry can be found in teas or supplements.
Hormone Balancing Tip #: Get Off The Sugar Roller Coaster
Eating large amounts of processed sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance. This is where your body gets tired of receiving the signal that your blood sugar is high, and becomes less responsive to it. Excess insulin production causes inflammation in the body and increased production of testosterone from the ovaries. This can lead to irregular cycles, acne and hair growth on the face.
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Looking Beyond Our Diets To Balance Our Hormones
Our healthy lifestyle decisions dont need to end with food. Walking, gentle yoga and meditation are great stress reducers. Even getting out into the sun and listening to the birds singing can help your body in amazing ways. Dont forget that our stress hormones play a major role in making us unhappy after 60. They also prevent us from losing weight, which, in turn, stops us from exploring the world.
Finally, Julie reminds us to take the time to pamper ourselves. Take a hot lavender bath. Relax with some candles and appreciate some me time. Be kind to your body and it will pay you back with many years of healthy life on this amazing planet we call home.
What natural solutions have calmed your postmenopausal hormones? Have you found any specific foods that helped? What advice would you give to the other women in the community who are struggling with their postmenopausal hormones? Please join the conversation.
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Signs Or Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance
Your hormones play an integral role in your overall health. As a result, theres a broad range of signs or symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance. Your signs or symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands arent working properly.
Common hormonal conditions affecting both men and women could cause any of the following signs or symptoms:
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Cut Back On The Alcoholic Beverages
Ive often been told Im the bearer of bad news, but I promise that laying off the liquor will be a game changer.
A glass of alcohol is like consuming a handful of sugary cookies, just via another delivery method. It immediately hits your bloodstream, sending your blood sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride.
Alcohol also raises estrogen levels, because it creates a whole lot of extra work for your liver, so it cant effectively detox estrogen, which is one of its main jobs. This estrogen excess can trigger heavier, longer periods, breast pain, headaches, and raging PMS.
See the connection between what we eat and drink and our period problems?
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.
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Boycott Soy For Hormone Balance
Did you know that soy:
- Disrupts hormones by looking like estrogen to the body
- May cause inflammation and leaky gut by inhibiting trypsin, a protein-digesting enzyme
- Is most likely genetically modified
Soy milk, soy meat, soy protein, soy-based cereal all these foods touted as healthy wreak havoc on the body. The Weston A. Price foundation has also collected and summarized a list of studies showing the toxic effects of soy consumption on hormone balance and general health.
Fermented soy, such as miso and tempeh, have the detrimental effects reduced, but I believe these should be only eaten in strict moderation. If you are currently trying to balance hormones, I strongly recommend avoiding even fermented soy.
Top Diet Tips To Balance Hormones Naturally
Food as medicine is the foundation of balancing hormones naturally. Hence, consuming a nutrient dense diet which is a perfect combination of carbohydrates, proteins and good fats becomes essential. So, let’s look at 5 food categories that you can find in your kitchen which will help you regulate hormone imbalances.
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Changes In Blood Pressure
Your hormones play a major role in heart health, primarily due to one of your bodys largest hormone-producing glands, the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for producing insulin, which regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Without proper regulation of this hormone, your body could end up with too much glucose in the blood, leading to cardiovascular problems like high cholesterol or high blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, has also been linked to thyroid dysfunction, testosterone deficiency, growth hormone excess or deficiency, and more.
Hot Flashes And Night Sweats
One of the most common symptoms of perimenopause is hot flashes, which often coexists with night sweats. Almost 80 percent of people who are in perimenopause or transitioning into menopause have hot flashes. Also, most women who receive chemotherapy or undergo surgery to remove their ovaries will experience hot flashes.
Scientists know that hot flashes occur as a result of low estrogen levels. Each hot flash involves a sensation of heat that starts in the chest area and travels to the neck and the head. It can last for a few minutes and may cause sweating. Some women also develop a faster heart rate during hot flashes.
If a hot flash happens during sleep, they are called night sweats. Women who have night sweats often wake up in the morning feeling tired.
Some people experience redness along their neck and face during a hot flash. This is called a hot flush.
On average, each hot flash lasts for about three to four minutes. Hot flashes can occur for a few months to several years. In a few rare cases, some people had hot flashes for 10 years.
Other signs of hormonal imbalance include:
- Constipation
- Heavy or irregular periods, missed periods, frequent periods, or stopped periods
- Vaginal dryness and itching
- Weakened muscles
- Pain in the muscles, tenderness, and stiffness
- Pain and swelling in the joints
- Depression
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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.