Balancing Hormones Naturally – A Holistic Approach

Hormones are chemical messengers that affect nearly every system in the body, but they can get out of balance during times when hormone production increases like pregnancy, postpartum care, perimenopause or menopause.

Effective strategies for naturally balancing hormones quickly include making some key lifestyle adjustments. Here are a few effective ones: eating anti-inflammatory foods; supplementing with omega-3s, adaptogen herbs, mushrooms and probiotics; getting adequate restful sleep and managing stress effectively.

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

Diet is an extremely influential factor on hormone levels. Hormones are chemical messengers which influence nearly every aspect of our bodies’ functions – from growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, emotions and thirst.

Hormonal imbalance can cause symptoms that range from irregular periods and PMS to weight gain, fatigue and decreased libido. Luckily, there are ways you can naturally balance your hormones.

One key step toward fighting inflammation and sugar addiction is eliminating high-sugar foods like refined carbohydrates like white bread, sugary sodas and pastries, processed vegetable oils, trans fats and processed vegetable oils from your diet. Instead, choose complex carbs (sweet potatoes and 100% whole grains are good choices), leafy greens, healthy proteins such as salmon and walnuts as well as fat-rich nuts like walnuts or chia seeds).

Eat plenty of fiber. Doing this helps relieve stress and maintain healthy estrogen levels – this is particularly crucial for women at risk or experiencing hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer.

2. Exercise Regularly

One of the best lifestyle habits women can implement to balance hormones is exercise. Not only can exercise support weight loss, it also balances estrogen and testosterone levels, improves menstrual cycle quality, and reduces symptoms of PCOS.

Exercise to boost HGH and testosterone – two hormones which play a vital role in lean muscle mass development, energy production and restful sleep – while simultaneously driving insulin levels lower and cortisol under control. For maximum effectiveness it’s best to stick with an exercise routine at specific times every day and adhere to it consistently.

Hormonal imbalances can have far-reaching repercussions, from fatigue and weight gain to difficulty sleeping. Naturopathy provides a solution by targeting four basic systems in the body – blood sugar levels, adrenals (HPA axis), gut health and detoxification/liver function (toxin/liver function). Once these have been balanced out, hormone balance tends to take care of itself.

3. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential to naturally balancing hormones. While you rest, your body works to rebuild itself for the day ahead, which includes secreting hormones into your system and producing them as needed. A lack of quality rest can have adverse effects on hormone functions which in turn have ripple effects across other areas of health.

Your body releases hormones like melatonin and cortisol during sleep to regulate your circadian rhythm, but when they don’t function as intended you could experience weight gain, low immunity levels, difficulty focusing and other negative side effects.

Protein-rich foods such as turkey, tofu, edamame beans and cottage cheese can help your body balance hormones more efficiently by providing it with amino acids it needs to produce peptide hormones necessary for controlling hunger levels (including glucagon-like peptide 1 and YY). Furthermore, these nutrients also support healthy thyroid function as well as increasing energy levels.

4. De-stress

Stress is a natural part of life, but prolonged excessive stress can significantly disrupt hormone balance. Cortisol increases during fight-or-flight responses but should quickly return back down as soon as you recognize that there is no longer an imminent threat. High levels of these stress hormones can lead to weight gain, mood swings, memory problems and fatigue – potentially serious health complications!

Diet, exercise and sleep are essential in naturally balancing hormones; but to ensure you maintain hormonal equilibrium for good it’s also essential that you regularly de-stress with meditation or prayer, taking time out for self care or engaging in other forms of self care activities like walking light jogging and tai chi. Instead of turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms like binge eating or food for comfort as means of comforting yourself try engaging your parasympathetic nervous system, known as rest and digest mode through activities that engage its rest and digest mode – consider activities such as walking light jogging or light jogging and Tai chi for self care activities that activate its parasympathetic nervous system “rest and digest mode”.