13 Tips To Balance Your Hormones Naturally
Do not underestimate the power of hormones! They affect people in so many different ways, and are crucial to good moods and a healthy body.Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers..
They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs and affect many different processes, including: SIDE NOTE: If you prefer watching videos instead of reading articles, check out my video on the subject: It can be a complicated process but I am sure these tips will help you: Maca root is a tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice fewer PMS symptoms, increased fertility and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones. It tastes great in smoothies, and is available in capsule form or powder form. Bad fats, such as high omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, are simply not meant to be consumed.
These are man-made fats, they are not natural.
The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3% Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats. If this ratio is imbalanced, it can cause serious issues.
The body needs the good fats to build cells, but if it doesn’t have them, it will have no choice but to use the highly unstable polyunsaturated fats, which cause mutated and inflamed cells. So basically, don’t eat fats like vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, margarine, shortening, or other chemically altered fats. Too much caffeine can wreak havoc on the endocrine system, especially if there are other hormone stressors involved too. Avoid coffee, chocolate, cut down on tea, and replace with herbal teas instead and decaffeinated green tea. Toxins found in pesticides, plastics, household chemicals, beauty products and even mattresses can contain hormone disrupting chemicals that mimic hormones in the body and keep the body from producing real hormones. Things like the contraceptive pill do the same thing. Consider natural ways of preventing pregnancy, I suggest the book “Taking charge of your fertility.” Use a glass bottle instead of a plastic one for your water. Use a water filter, and eat organic produce and meat whenever possible. Make your own natural beauty products. Avoid these: This one is as simple as that – Sleep! It is so crucial, if you are not getting enough sleep, then your hormones won’t be in balance. If someone created a pill that gave you the same benefits as sleep does, they would surely win a nobel prize! You might even want to consider sleeping for 10-12 hours a day for a while if you really have a hormonal issue, to allow yourself to heal. If you are trying to balance your hormones, strenuous exercise is only going to make things worse. Sleep is actually more important to help heal your body during this time. Don’t turn into a couch potato just yet though. Light exercise is best, such as swimming, walking and rebounding. Short bursts of heavy lifting (kettlebells, deadlifts, squats, lunges) can be beneficial since they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. So avoid the extended running, cardio and exercise videos, for now. Low-fat diets are probably the number one reason people are having problems with their hormones. Hormones are made out of cholesterol. What are good fats? Traditional fats that have been around for centuries, such as grass-fed butter, cream, egg yolks, ghee, coconut milk, lard, beef tallow, coconut oil, palm oil and extra virgin olive oil. Remember though, oils have different smoke points before they go rancid, so the best ones for cooking are coconut oil, palm oil, animal fats and ghee. Leptin is a master hormone that regulates hunger and metabolism. We can create a deficiency in our leptin levels by consuming too much sugar or processed foods, or by skimping on sleep—and as a result, we can experience more food cravings and a slower metabolism. It is very important to get your leptin back into balance, and that really needs a whole post to itself to fully explain. This is something we should all be doing and it really helps you to get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need. All you have to do is eat balanced, real food meals (not packaged or processed) that are nutrient dense. You don’t have to go crazy with this though. Prepare your food properly as well, as this can enhance nutrient absorption and reduce nutrient inhibitors such as phytic acid. So soak or sprout your nuts, seeds and grains before consuming. Some of the most nutrient-dense foods are: White flour and sugar are nutritionally empty and strip your body of nutrients, so replace those with healthier options. Another thing that is prevalent in peoples diets that is causing issues is Soy, and it never used to be. You may think you are not eating soy because you don’t drink soy milk or eat tofu, but unfortunately, soy is in almost everything. Most restaurants use soybean oil to cook with, and most packaged and processed foods contain soybean oil and/or soy lecithin. Most of the meat and dairy we consume is from animals fed soy. Most mayonnaise and salad dressings contain soybean oil. I’m sure most people have heard of the hormonal imbalances it causes. Soy is a goitrogen, which blocks iodine uptake in the body. As stated throughout this article, you will see why iodine is important for hormone health. In women, iodine is stored in the thyroid gland, the breasts and the ovaries (all hormonal places). It is okay to eat soy in small amounts, as a condiment, as long as it is naturally fermented (such as soy sauce, miso, tempeh, or natto). Get more fiber into your diet with raw fruit, raw vegetables, and things like chia seeds. Fiber binds itself to old estrogen, clearing it out of the system, and leading to better overall balance. This is good for men and women who suffer from estrogen dominance. Even if you’re doing everything else right, if you’re stressed out, high levels of cortisol will throw all your hormones off balance. Both overweight and thin people are affected by this, contrary to popular belief that only overweight people have issues with this. Researchers at Yale University, for example, found that thin women who had high cortisol also had more abdominal fat. Managing stress is important for every aspect of health, and I know it is not always easy to manage, but it is important that we all try.
The Okinawans are some of the most laid back people, and they live to over a hundred! Try deep breathing exercises, even if it is only for a few minutes each day, it does make a difference. Or try meditation. As you can probably tell, these are great things to be doing anyway to be a more overall healthier and happier person. Balancing hormones will really come naturally if you follow these general health practices and help to educate yourself on being a healthier person overall. Just do your best though, don’t stress out over it! .
Read the full article at the original website
References:
