Happy Hormones
How Healthy Are Your Hormones – and How Would You Know?
There is often discussion and mention of hormones in women’s health and it can all seem so confusing! Do you know what hormones are, what they do and if yours are imbalanced or healthy?
HORMONES are your body’s chemical messengers and assist practically every physiological process in your body including:
Metabolism
Immune system
Menstrual cycle
Reproduction
The endocrine system is the control centre for hormones, and the brain, specifically the hypothalamus and pituitary glands play an integral role in regulating all hormone production in the body.
There is a complex interplay between different hormones, so hormonal imbalance could mean that having too much or too little of one hormone will affect the performance of others. Fortunately, we are discovering that if the ‘mother’ hormone, progesterone is supported, others can naturally and easily fall into harmony.
Signs your hormones may not be happy include;
Infertility and irregular periods
Weight gain/weight loss (with no change in diet)
Depression or anxiety
Fatigue
Insomnia
Low libido
Changes in appetite
Digestive issues
Brain fog
Hair loss/thinning
The good news is that balancing hormones is achievable naturally by making some tweaks to diet and lifestyle choices.
To balance hormones naturally:
Use Mexican Wild Yam Cream supporting the ‘mother’ hormone progesterone for inner balance and harmony
Eat healthy fats like avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil (unheated) or coconut oil (heated & unheated)
Balance your intake of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats by consuming good quality wild caught fish, cod liver oil, sardines, mackerel etc as well as adding chia, flax and hemp seeds and walnuts to your diet
Avoid processed & packaged foods containing vegetable oils high in omega 6.
Improve gut health by consuming a nutritious diet of wholefoods incorporating bone broth and fermented foods if possible and lots of leafy greens.
Eliminate toxic kitchen, beauty and body care products from your home replacing them with safe and natural alternatives. This includes bake ware and pans with Teflon coatings and makeup, skincare and perfume containing chemical ingredients.
Exercise – any exercise that you enjoy and can stick to is great but HIIT (high intensity interval training) is best.
Reduce and/or manage stress as high cortisol levels can wreak havoc on the body.
Take adaptogen herbs to regulate hormone function. For example Ashwagandha (for thyroid, adrenals), Chasteberry (for PMS) and Maca root (for stamina, stress relief).
Get more sleep and improve the quality of it by following a sleep routine.
Watch caffeine and alcohol intake
Back off birth control pills as they deplete the body of zinc, magnesium, B6 and other nutrients.
Sources: Barbara O’Neill, Dr Libby Weaver, Dr Chris Kresser