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Optimal hormone balance is extremely important for the female body. This does not mean that men are not affected by fluctuations in hormones. The only difference is that women experience the adverse affects of poor hormonal health far more acutely than men. Puberty, monthly menstrual cycles, pregnancy and menopause all contribute to a sustained see-saw of hormone levels in the female body. Consequently, many women suffer from unpleasant symptoms of hormonal imbalance like painful periods, constant fatigue, infertility, excessive weight gain/loss, indigestion, insomnia and mood swings. Many of these symptoms can be reduced or alleviated altogether by achieving hormonal balance in a natural and sustainable way.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an alternative for women who are experiencing extreme menopausal symptoms, PMS or other related health issues like infertility. Your doctor will advise hormone testing to get an in-depth understanding of your hormonal profile. But it is also possible to get to the root cause and address underlying health problems by adopting a more natural approach to hormonal healing.

Here are a few things you need to know about achieving hormonal wellbeing in a natural and non-invasive manner.

Eat Healthy

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Healthy eating does not mean cutting down on all your favorite snacks and staying away from your favorite restaurants. It means eating the best, most hygienic and sustainably sourced food you can afford, in moderation. You can continue visiting your favorite patisserie shop, but be mindful of the calories you consume. Exercising self-control and taking responsibility for what you put inside your stomach are extremely important if you want to give your body nourishing food. This in turn will help your body produce the right kind of hormones in the right amount.

Healthy fats like olive oil and coconut oil — in addition to other sources — are the best for our body. They contain healthy Omega-3 fats and saturated fats that are very essential for healthy cellular structure and also act as building blocks for hormones. Fatty fishes and avocados are also good sources of health-boosting fats.

Other hormone-supporting foods include cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale and cauliflower that are powerful detoxifying and anti-inflammatory foods. They also help fight estrogen dominance, and will be helpful if you suffer from its common symptoms like painful periods, headache or mood swings. Combating estrogen dominance is very important if you want to achieve a balance between estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones.

Also, ensure that you eat stuff that makes you happy and have your meals in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. If you cook at home, ensure that you do so with love and care. This will help tune your body to better appreciate the nutrients and will build positive energy in your body.

Exercise in Moderation

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Very heavy and strenuous exercise creates the same effect as acute stress in your body. Intense exercise sessions take our body’s stress response too far and result in excessive production of cortisol. Following a vigorous exercise routine in the long term can lead to several health problems like indigestion, insomnia, weight gain and a higher risk of dementia in old age. When intense training is coupled with a low-carb diet, this can lead to disruption of thyroid function and hormone imbalance.

Low impact workouts like aerobics, brisk walks, light morning jogs, cycling, rowing and swimming are best to lower stress and cortisol production in the body. Yoga is also an excellent form of exercise to improve hormonal health. It stimulates the secretion of calming brain chemical GABA and lowers the level of stress hormone adrenalin.

An optimal combination of weight training, cardio and low impact exercises will help you correct hormone imbalance.

Keep Your Brain Healthy

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The brain and the nervous system are primary controllers of our behaviors and moods. Imbalance in the brain chemistry is one of the biggest adverse effects of hormones going out of whack.

Estrogen level in the body dips during menopause and it results in decreased blood flow to brain tissues, mood swings, stress and increased vulnerability to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease due to poor brain health. This also upsets the estrogen-progesterone balance. Estrogen is essential for formation of the mood boosting hormone serotonin which keeps mood swings at bay.

Stress also affects the brain chemistry and cause imbalance of neurotransmitters. This can lead to depression, hormone imbalance, insomnia, addiction, weight gain, anxiety and cause ADD/ADHD symptoms.

So you can see that brain chemistry and hormone balance are closely interrelated, and any change in one affects the other. An anti-oxidant rich diet, regular but moderate exercise, adequate sleep, better stress management and sense of achievement on accomplishing small goals are all important for brain wellbeing. Studies also point out that it is very important that you derive antioxidants from healthy food sources like whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Conclusion

Balancing hormones naturally is not easy. But if you incorporate the right lifestyle changes and adopt a healthy attitude towards life then it will be possible to holistically heal your hormones.

Guest post by Livewelltesting

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