Hormone imbalance refers to not having the right level of every hormone in the body, which impacts the quality of life and is also a precursor to several health issues. If you have been experiencing a lack of energy, increased stress levels, disturbed sleep, mood swings, or reduced mental clarity, you may have a hormone imbalance. Other common problems like irregular cycles, hirsutism or hair loss, and infertility also indicate disturbed hormone levels.
The key to resolving this problem is to understand that hormones work in the body as a system, and irregular levels of one hormone can impact others as well. If you are experiencing any of these problems, read this guide to learn what you can do to balance your hormones.
How to Balance Your Hormones to Feel Your Best
From your mental well-being to your gut health, hormones can affect various health aspects, which is why there is so much emphasis on having the right balance in the body. While a conventional medicinal regimen can help resolve the problem by masking the symptoms, it increases dependency on prescription drugs and does not identify the root cause of the problem. In most cases, lifestyle changes can help people restore their ideal hormone levels. Here are a few things you can do.
Take a Balanced Diet
The first step towards improving hormonal health is to improve your diet. A healthy diet consisting of adequate protein, healthy fats, and fibrous food like cruciferous vegetables, beans, grains, dried fruits, and nuts can help reduce the likelihood of various health conditions like hypertension and diabetes and also helps elevate the mood.
Moreover, a balanced intake of these food groups will help stimulate your hormones, reduce bloating, and regulate your metabolism, helping you keep your weight in check.
At the same time, you must reduce your sugar intake. Sugar and refined carbohydrates result in direct weight gain and stress on the adrenal gland, which produces cortisol, impacting the body’s digestive health and causing chronic fatigue, among other health issues. Cut refined sugars from your diet by curtailing your sugary drinks and desserts and using natural fruit sweeteners instead.
Incorporate the Use of Herbs and Supplements
Natural medicine is not given enough credit when it comes to hormonal health. Still, things are moving in the right direction as a growing number of people are now using herbs and natural supplements to regulate hormones. The type of herbs you can incorporate into your diet depends on what the body lacks or has an excess of in terms of hormones.
When it comes to supplements, besides the primary options like Vitamin D, B12, or probiotics, various natural supplements can stimulate women’s hormone balance. You may feel an increase in your energy, elevated mood, improved brain function, and boosted immunity, among other changes, through these supplements.
Change Your Lifestyle
While changing your diet is an important lifestyle element, you cannot solely rely on your diet to regulate your hormones. You must also consider other lifestyle changes to bring improvement. Here are some critical aspects to consider
- Poor sleep is a primary cause of increased stress hormones and impacts the production of melatonin that regulates sleep. Therefore you must work on improving your sleep pattern and quality. Remove all distractions at night and consider taking a supplement if necessary to help you sleep better.
- Incorporate regular exercise in your daily routine to stimulate your thyroid for boosted energy, improve insulin balance and prevent fat accumulation in the body. It will also help improve your sleep.
- Consider ways to reduce the stressors in your life, as stress is the precursor to many health problems. Besides exercise, you can take up yoga or meditation to keep stress at bay or indulge in socialization with friends or family from time to time to help keep your mind off stressful thoughts.
Conclusion
Usually, doctors advise individuals to balance their blood sugar, glucagon, and insulin levels. They consider it a matter of balancing the female hormones prolactin, progesterone, or estrogen and may prescribe medication accordingly. However, consuming a balanced and nutritious diet, using natural supplements, exercising regularly, and taking steps to destress can enable you to naturally restore your body’s hormone balance and help improve your health and how you feel.