Hormones have a lot of work to do. They affect your digestive system and can impact your fertility. Additionally, some hormones control your metabolism and hunger.
Even a slight hormonal imbalance can have a significant impact on your mood and appetite. Moreover, after some time, it can lead to severe health problems. The role of hormones cannot be underestimated. As such, you should do everything you can to prevent a hormonal imbalance from happening.
With this being said, you can take some measures to ensure your hormones stay in healthy ranges. In this article, we look at ways how you can maintain healthy hormone levels. If you wish to ensure that your body functions properly and stays healthy, read on.
Manage Stress
Emotional and physical stress can have a significant impact on your health and hormones. When you are under stress, the body releases a hormone known as cortisol. It handles your body’s response to stress. In other words, cortisol is released when you are faced with physical or mental challenges.
However, in excess, cortisol can disrupt the normal functioning of the adrenal glands and lower immune responses. As such, if you are constantly stressed out and facing a lot of challenges in your life, cortisol levels build up in the body. You may notice that you have problems falling asleep at night or feel tired during the day. Additionally, research points to an increased risk of hypertension as well as diabetes when exposed to stress for a long time.
Stress can also lead to depression. If you have been experiencing symptoms that are typical for those suffering from depression, you might want to do hormonal tests, just in case. Since it is one of the lesser known symptoms of hypothyroidism – a condition when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce as much of certain hormones as it should – you might find out that the problem were your hormones.
Exercise
Several studies show that women who exercise at least 20 minutes daily experience improved hormonal balance compared to those who do not exercise. Additionally, exercise has a beneficial impact on weight loss and metabolism. This can help you maintain your current weight and even lose some.
Eat Healthy Foods Every Day
Your diet plays a critical role in maintaining healthy hormone levels. If your diet consists of the right balance of macronutrients, you are on your way to long-term health and improved hormonal balance. This will also help you shed those additional kilos and get into shape.
When you eat healthy foods such as nuts (especially walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews), avocados, legumes (like beans and lentils), broccoli, and fruits, you are eating foods that support estrogen balance. Additionally, if you eat foods like eggs, chicken, turkey, and olive oil, you are supporting healthy testosterone levels.
Get Enough Sleep
There is a definite link between the quality of sleep and hormonal balance. Not getting enough sleep can have a negative impact on the functioning of your hormone levels at the cellular level. As such, it can lead to long-term health problems such as mood swings and weight gain. The impact of sleep deprivation on hormonal levels becomes more profound as you age.
If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, it may be due to stress or other factors. If this is the case for you, it is best to consult with a medical professional regarding your sleeping habits. Additionally, studies also show that taking omega-3 supplements around five hours before bedtime can help improve sleep quality and eliminate nighttime anxiety and stress.
Avoid Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption significantly impacts hormonal levels. Even moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to have an impact on women’s hormonal balance.
In 2015, researchers compiled data from nine different studies conducted over an 11-year period on the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on women’s hormone levels. They found that alcohol consumption may decrease FSH hormones in women’s bodies by 26%, but it also increased luteal phase progesterone by 10% compared to their non-drinking counterparts.
Go on a Low-Fat Diet
Some studies show that a lower-fat diet has a positive impact on keeping your hormone levels in check. The main reason for this is that animal fats are high in hormone disruptor chemicals. These chemicals contribute to an imbalance of your hormone levels and, over time, may increase your risk of diabetes and cancer.
Reduce Your Sugar Intake
To reduce sugar intake, it is essential that you read food labels and understand the percentage of sugar present in your food choices. A general rule to follow is to make it a rule to avoid foods with more than five grams of sugar per serving. Additionally, if you crave sweets, it means that you probably have a sensitivity or allergy to certain chemical elements found in these foods, such as salicylates and histamines.
Salicylates are commonly found in almost all fruits and vegetables including apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, grapes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, etc., while histamine is found more commonly in the cured meats or foods which are aged or fermented including aged cheese or sauerkraut etc., as well as fermented cabbage juice found in traditional Eastern European diets.
Switching over from these types of foods to non-salicylate and non-histamine foods can also help reduce cravings as well as allergic symptoms such as inflammation etc. It will be wise for you to work with a nutritionist who can help you improve your diet and address any food intolerances you may have.
Conclusion
Keeping the right hormone balance is crucial if you want to keep healthy. After all, they are responsible for processes such as fertility, growth, and metabolism. Unfortunately, maintaining the hormones in healthy ranges can be quite challenging – especially if you live quite a busy life.
However, there are plenty of changes that you can introduce into your life that can help you with keeping the right balance – the ones we mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to find out which ones are the best for you, it’s best to contact a professional – they’ll be able to tell you exactly what your body needs. Good luck.