The more you can to do to keep your hormones balanced, the better off you’ll be. Your hormones dictate virtually every part of your life: from your state of mind to your behavior, body shape, eating habits and even your reaction to stress. Hormonal imbalances can trigger cellulite, acne, migraines, fat storage, weight gain, and many other unpleasant symptoms. That’s because hormones function as messengers between body systems to regulate your physiology and behavior. They control things such as digestion, respiration, metabolism, tissue function, reproduction, and sleep. Men and women have the same hormones, just in different amounts.
Foods that Impact Your Hormone Balance
Not surprisingly, foods that come from animals that have been fed hormones are a problem. You can avoid this by eating organic animal protein and dairy. Another big impact on hormone balance is blood sugar levels. In fact, Dr Jockers, says: “this is probably the single most important factor for improving your hormones.” So avoid the roll-coaster blood sugar levels by eating low carb and avoiding sweets. There are also foods that are inflammatory and therefore make it difficult to keep your hormones balanced. Avoid unfermented soy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and industrial food oils like canola, sunflower, and corn oil. If you have any food sensitivities or allergies, those foods will also throw off your hormones as well. So consume plenty of antioxidant-rich vegetables, herbs, and spices. Cruciferous vegatables are great for this purpose. In fact, broccoli sprouts are one of the most powerful hormone balancing foods and is a good anti-cancer food as well.
Stress
Physical and mental stress also disrupt your hormones. Physical stress can come from too much or too little exercise. And unfortunately, most of us know what mental stress is. But did you know that when continues for long periods of time and becomes chronic stress, it can become the only reason your hormones are out of balance. That’s because one your body gets into a state of chronic stress, your body starts using up your progesterone and transforms it into cortisol, the stress hormone. And cortisol shares a biochemical pathway with sex hormones in the body. So when cortisol is chronically elevated, this detracts from the production of sex hormones.
Toxins
Toxins are everywhere today and are virtually unavoidable. Alcohol, chemicals, heavy metals and other toxins enter our bodies not only through what we eat and drink but also through environmental pollution and medication. While the body has the ability to cope with this to an extent, being exposed to too many toxins can overload your liver which is responsible for getting excess estrogen out of the body. Additionally, there are certain toxins that are known hormone or endocrine disruptors. These are things like pthalates, BPA, PCBs, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. The scarey thing about these toxins is that they have the ability to mimic estrogen in the body, creating a condition called estrogen dominance. This is the most common hormonal imbalance today between men and women alike. And don’t forget to drink lots of good purified water to help your body get rid of these toxins.
Getting Good Sleep
Making sure you are getting a good night’s sleep is extremely important for healthy hormones. When you get enough quality, un-medicated sleep, inflammation decreases. The body produces more growth hormone, and stress hormones are metabolized. Sleep can lower blood sugar levels and cravings may go away completely. On the flip side, poor sleep throws off blood sugar, drives up inflammation, increases cortisol secretion during the day, and ultimately throws off hormone balance. I talked about how to get a good night sleep in this article: http://sharonledwards.com/good-nights-sleep/
Consider Natural Supplements
Ideally, we could get all of our nutrients from food, properly hydrate from water, and get enough Vitamin D from the sun on a daily basis. We’d get magnesium from the ocean and not get deficient in the first place since we’d be consuming adequate minerals from eating fresh seafood. Here are two of many supplements that can help keep your hormones balanced naturally. But make sure you check with your doctor or health care professional before taking any new supplements, especially if you are on medications or contraceptives.
Maca – A hormone boosting tuber in the radish family with a long history of use in Peru. Women who use this often see improvements in fertility, reduction in PMS and better skin/hair. It can help men with sperm production, testosterone levels and muscle composition. Maca is a good source of minerals and essential fatty acids, which is one of the ways it supports hormone balance. It is available in powder form or in capsules. Maca should be discontinued during pregnancy.
Magnesium – This mineral is vital for hundreds of functions within the human body. And it is an important mineral for a range of endocrine imbalances. Without it, you wouldn’t have the ability to produce adequate amounts of any hormones. It is helpful in balancing blood sugar levels, cortisol regulation, and supporting the thyroid. It relaxes muscles so can even help you get a good night sleep. Soaking in a tub of epsom salts several times a week is one way to make sure you are getting enough magnesium. You can also get magnesium in a powder, ionic liquid, or as an oil to apply to the skin. Topical application is often the most effective option for those with a damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
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