Do you struggle with mood swings, insomnia, hair loss, bloating, anxiety, weight retention, mystery aches and pains, or bouts of fatigue with no known trigger? If so, you might want to take a look at your hormones.
Hormones are crucial for so many processes in your body, from stress regulation to hair growth. When things fall out of balance, a slew of symptoms are sure to crop up and leave you feeling less-than-amazing.
But what can you do to start feeling better? A hormonal imbalance can be a tricky thing to detect, and most health insurance doesn’t cover the specialized tests that can reveal your hormones’ inner workings without a serious diagnosis.
Luckily, we have some tips that can help get things in order.
We believe hormone health doesn’t get enough spotlight in the wellness world, so we’re excited to share our top hormone-friendly tips with you. With so many different hormones affecting how we sleep, eat, and feel, this topic is very broad. This blog targets some general health practices that can help shift your hormones back into balance.
The best part? They’re all accessible and don’t require the expensive supplements or superfood powders you might be expecting.
Tips to Balance Your Hormones Naturally
- Make Time to De-Stress. Try meditation, nature baths, journaling, or gentle movement like walking or yoga. Keeping an eye on your stress is one of the most important things you can do for your hormones (and overall health!). Chronic stress elevates your cortisol levels so your body remains in fight or flight mode, even when you’re trying to relax. As a result of this elevated cortisol, all other hormone production will be deprioritized by your body (as well as other important processes like digestion).
- Eat a Low Sugar Diet. Focus on eating naturally sweet foods to satisfy your sweet tooth. Foods like berries, sweet potatoes, cinnamon and sugar-free sweeteners like monk fruit. Excess sugar in your diet can decrease your body’s ability to detox estrogen, leading to uncomfortable symptoms of chronic inflammation like mood swings, joint pain, and more pronounced menstrual cramps. High insulin levels can also raise testosterone which can cause hair thinning and breakouts.
- Move Your Body Daily. Regular movement helps keep your blood sugar and hormones in check. Exercise gets your blood and endorphins flowing, which in turn increases insulin sensitivity and regulates estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone levels. It also helps maintain healthy levels of dopamine and serotonin to prevent mood swings.
- Eat More Protein. Protein-rich foods like legumes, fermented soy, and lean meat are full of amino acids. Your body needs those amino acids to fuel healthy hormone production and maintain muscle mass and energy levels.
- Eat Healthy Fats. Saturated fats like coconut oil contain healthy cholesterol that provides the body with the building blocks to make hormones like estrogen, testosterone, DHEA and aldosterone. Omega-3s from foods like flax seeds, wild-caught fish, or olives help regulate your blood sugar and reduce the inflammation that comes with a hormonal imbalance.
- Eat Your Vegetables. Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are vital for balanced hormones thanks to a potent hormone-detoxing compound called sulforaphane. Leafy greens are also great for hormone health. They contain tons of fiber that balances insulin levels plus vitamins and minerals like bone-boosting calcium, stress-busting magnesium, and vitamin C to keep your skin happy and your mood balanced.
- Get Enough Sleep. Try to get at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night. Chronically poor sleep is a common culprit behind hormonal imbalances. It raises stress hormones like cortisol, compromises ghrelin and leptin production (the hormones that trigger feelings of hunger and fullness), and spikes insulin levels.
- Keep Caffeine Off Your Plate. Caffeine can mimic stress in your body, which is taxing on the adrenals. A regular caffeine habit can cause frequent spikes in cortisol and epinephrine. Over time, these spikes can contribute to Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Dysfunction, commonly known as “adrenal fatigue”.
You can balance your hormones naturally, and expensive supplements aren’t always the best (or only) path forward. Even if you incorporate even just a few of these tips into your daily life, you’ll start to notice a difference! If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments below.
Wishing you hormone harmony,
The Conscious Cleanse Team
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