Did you know that imbalanced hormones cause many health and emotional problems? If you don't believe it, try an online search for constant fatigue, mood swings, appetite issues, etc. and one of the top causes will be- imbalanced hormones.
What is hormone imbalance?
Most women associate hormones with our menstrual cycle and don't think much of it beyond that. But there's more to the story.
Our hormones control many processes in our bodies. And the imbalance can be about various hormones, not only our ovarian hormones.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND HORMONES
The two main hormones that control body functions are insulin and cortisol. Insulin regulates blood sugar, while cortisol is linked to stress. These hormones affect all our hormones: ovarian (progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone), thyroid, and sleep (melatonin).
How do we balance our hormones? By looking at our bodies' relationship with sugar and stress.
Here are a few tips to help you on the journey to balancing your hormones.
1. Working out
If you get enough hours of sleep but still need a nap because you're fatigued, there's a problem. The amount of time you sleep isn't all that matters- the quality of your sleep is essential too.
Exercise is excellent for wearing you out so that you fall asleep easily at the end of the day. You'll have a restful night and wake up feeling refreshed.
Working out regulates your body's cortisol levels, reduces excess estrogen, and helps prevent insulin resistance.
2. Omega 3 fatty acid supplements
If oily fish isn't a part of your diet, it's likely that you aren't getting the recommended amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Low levels of these acids can wreak havoc on your hormones since Omega 3 fatty acids influence hormone production. They also transport hormones throughout the body.
3. Herbal remedies
If you're a fan of natural things like we are, why not try herbal remedies? They're useful for managing symptoms. Some of the options include ginseng and rhodiola. You can make tea from steeping the roots, or buy them in supplement form.
4. Seed cycling
If your periods give you a hard time, seed cycling might help ease things up.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Start this procedure on the first day of your period. Take a tablespoon of ground-up flax and pumpkin seeds with Omega 3 oil. Pumpkin seeds contain lots of zinc, which supports the production of progesterone, while flax seeds contain lignans that help your body remove excess estrogen. Repeat this daily until halfway through your cycle.
From then until the start of your next period, take a tablespoon of ground-up sesame and sunflower seeds with primrose oil. Sesame seeds are high in lignan, while sunflower seeds contain selenium, which is crucial to the production of the thyroid hormone.
5. Manage stress
As we mentioned earlier, cortisol controls the rest of your hormones. Keeping your stress levels at a minimum will help you balance out your hormones.
Make time every day to do things that make you feel relaxed. Meditation, listening to music, short walks, chatting with a friend- do at least one thing daily that brings you joy.
6. Reduce alcohol and caffeine
Alcohol increases our blood sugar levels leading to a spike in our insulin. Caffeine increases our blood pressure stimulating the release of cortisol. These two drinks trigger an excess of the two hormones that regulate the rest of our hormones.
With love,
The Sole Toscana Beauty Team
