Hormone trouble? Follow these three tips to get your sanity back!
Brain Fog? Fatigue? Low libido? Low muscle tone? Moodiness? Irritability? Anxiety? Insomnia? Depression? Acne?…. Yes, they’re all related to hormone imbalance, as are a plethora of other symptoms.
The topic of hormones can be complicated and overwhelming! There’s a lot of information out there that can be difficult to understand, and quality testing is expensive. Your own hormonal status is very unique and fluctuates constantly. So what can you do? As with all things health-related, you start by working on the basics. If you implement the three tips below, you’ll not only help to balance your hormones, but you’ll also be addressing many other issues you never knew were related.
The human body is hundreds of times more complex than your fanciest computer. It is not broken up into individual parts that work autonomously. Every part of your body is connected to every other part of your body. So if have a gut problem let’s say, you don’t only have a gut problem. You will also have a brain problem, hormone problem, energy problem, sleep problem etc. Every part of the body depends on every other part of the body to do its job. A dysfunction in one part of the body is a dysfunction in all parts of the body.
The benefit of this reality is that when you address your gut problem (or whatever the primary issue is), then other systems begin to heal as well. It’s a beautiful thing! This is why we must always start with the foundations. Without doing a complete health history and knowing your specific hormone status, I can’t make specific recommendations. BUT, you will still benefit greatly from following these three tips- the foundations. In fact, they’re something every single one of us should be doing regardless of our health status, they’re that important. So, without further ado, let’s get to it…
Tip #1 Manage Stress.
When we are stressed, the adrenals work overtime. They try to protect us from what might be a life-threatening situation (even though we are not really in danger). This is our fight or flight response. It causes the adrenals to produce higher levels of adrenaline and cortisol.
Because we can only produce adrenaline for a few seconds, our fight or flight response is dependent on excess cortisol, and this is where the havoc begins. Cortisol is excreted when a stressful situation lasts for more than a few seconds. In today’s crazy-busy world, we ALL have stress that lasts for more than a few seconds! Excess cortisol has been linked to depression, blood sugar problems, reproductive issues, anxiety and weight gain around the middle.
The key is to support the health of the adrenals with foods rich in B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. Practicing meditation, mindful exercises like yoga or walking, or deep breathing, all help to lower cortisol. In my free ebook ‘Sleep Like You Mean It’ I talk in depth about other ways to reduce cortisol. After all, you won’t sleep well if your cortisol is high! Download the book here if you haven’t already.
Tip # 2 Detox excess hormones.
Excess hormones like cortisol, estrogen and testosterone all need to be detoxed out of the body. Excess hormones can cause damage and inflammation, and they are consistently re-circulated if not excreted properly. The liver is primarily responsible for detoxifying hormones. As such, supporting the health of the liver is critical. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale, apples, grapefruit, garlic, onions, Jerusalem artichokes, lemons, limes and berries are just a few foods that help support the liver. Also be mindful of sugar intake. We want to keep our carbohydrate and refined sugar intake fairly low to ensure a healthy hepatic system.
A healthy gut is imperative to this process as well. Hormones can be re-circulated if gut health is compromised. Cleaning up the gut of any infections, inflammatory foods, or excess stress is critical for healthy elimination of hormones and other waste products. This is easier said than done and may require guidance with a knowledgeable practitioner if you have a chronic issue. In the meantime, start with the basics. Eat a diet low in processed foods and avoid any foods that are problematic for you. Limit alcohol and avoid it altogether if you have any significant health problems. Be sure to include probiotic-rich foods to your diet such as kefir, yogurt, kimchi or sauerkraut. Prebiotic foods such as garlic, onion, potatoes, broccoli, berries and apples, just to name a few, feed your good bacteria and help keep your gut healthy.
Tip #3 Balance Blood Sugar
Eating processed and high-sugar foods can cause your blood sugar to swing up and down throughout the day. When your blood sugar drops, you can experience anger, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Low blood sugar can cause cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. The body tightly regulates the amount of glucose in the blood at any given time. When that level drops, it will signal you to eat in order to bring levels back up. This puts us on a vicious cycle called ‘The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster.” Cravings can be intense, and more often than not, we give in. Caffeine, sugar, and alcohol all cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. In turn, high amounts of insulin are released. Insulin spikes can affect other hormones. Remember, all systems of the body are connected!
If we do not respond to the craving, then our adrenals send a signal to the liver to release stored glucose. This brings blood sugar back up. Blood sugar rises again and large amounts of insulin are released.
Obviously, we want to avoid this damaging rollercoaster ride. But how? To keep blood sugar stable, you need to balance your macronutrients. There are only three macronutrients, so this should be easy to remember: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. At each meal, make sure you’re getting at least a palm-sized portion of protein, a few tablespoons of fat (this could be from animal products or foods like olive oil or avocados), and enough carbohydrates to meet your specific needs. Start with a small amount of carbs (say ½ cup), and only add more if you feel you need more. Blood sugar stabilizing foods such as Jerusalem artichokes, cinnamon, bitter melon, and fibrous foods can also be helpful. Eat enough food at each meal that you don’t need to snack in between meals. Lowering stress also helps keep blood sugar stable. Remember to download my ebook if you need ideas on how to manage stress.
These are just three simple steps to help balance your hormones, but they’re critically important. You can’t just take a pill and expect your hormones to be in perfect harmony. You must address the whole body, and put in a little effort to maintain healthy lifestyle habits. And like I said, we should all be doing these! So give them a try and see the difference they can make. Let me know how it goes, I always love to hear from you!
Of course, if you’re having health symptoms of any kind and you can’t quite figure out why, give us a call. We’re here to help!
Cathy Cooke, BCHN, BBEC Holistic Nutritionist and Building Biologist is the founder of Whole Home and Body Health which provides EMF Assessments, Mold Testing, and Nutrition and Health Consulting located in Boise, Idaho. Cathy is available for consulting via skype and phone, and is also willing to travel as needed for home assessments. Schedule an appointment today!