If you’ve spent any time doom scrolling on Instagram recently, or any time on the internet for that matter, chances are you’ve heard of hormone balancing. From seed cycling to hormone balancing ladoos, digital creators everywhere are waxing eloquent about how to balance your hormones naturally. But why does hormonal balance matter so much and do you even need it? We decided to dig a little deeper.
What is hormonal imbalance?
Most of the content around balancing your hormones naturally focuses on lifestyle habits like eating healthy or getting enough sleep. But is hormonal balance really that simple? Let’s start at the beginning. Hormones are chemical messengers produced by our endocrine system. Our hormones coordinate different functions in our body and impact everything from our metabolism, sleep to even our mood. When people talk about ‘balancing hormones’ they are usually referring to female reproductive hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormonal balance is not restricted to these however. It can also apply to other hormones such as our stress hormones (cortisol), thyroid hormones, and metabolic hormones (like insulin) among others.
Our hormone levels can be too low or too high, and that can potentially cause health issues. Depending on the specific hormones involved, a hormonal imbalance could cause a range of symptoms from fatigue to acne breakouts. A hormonal imbalance is essentially a biochemical imbalance, involving the chemical processes in our body. It can occur due to a variety of reasons ranging from diet, lifestyle, to an illness, and the only way to confirm it is through getting your bloodwork done. And while dietary and lifestyle changes can help with correcting a hormonal imbalance, you also need to identify the root cause. This in turn will depend on the specific hormones involved and any underlying issues.
So what does ‘balancing your hormones’ mean?
What this means is that you may not be able to ‘balance hormones’ or fix a hormonal imbalance through lifestyle changes alone. What these lifestyle changes can do however is help optimize your hormonal health and contribute to your overall wellness. If you have been diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance, some of these hormone balancing habits can also help you manage your symptoms. Incorporating these habits in your daily life will also support your hormonal health and functioning on an ongoing basis.
9 Natural Ways To Balance Your Hormones
Now that we have the context sorted out, let’s dive into these natural ways that can help you balance your hormones. Or, in other words, everyday habits that will help optimize your overall hormonal health and hormonal function.
1. Get enough protein at every meal
Whether it’s our hair or our hormones, there’s just no getting away from protein. The importance of consuming adequate protein cannot be emphasized enough. Protein provides our body with essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. Our body uses protein to make peptide hormones from amino acids. Peptide hormones play a key role in physiological processes like energy metabolism, growth, appetite, stress and reproduction.
Medical experts recommend eating a minimum of 15-30 grams of protein per meal. To get your protein in, include foods like eggs, daal, chicken breast or fish in each meal. Snack smartly to optimize your protein intake as well. Foods like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds are all good sources of high quality protein.
2. Don’t forget the fibre
You’ve probably heard often enough that a high fibre diet is an essential part of eating healthy. Research has shown that fibre stimulates the production of hormones that make you feel full and increases insulin sensitivity. Include plant foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are high in fibre in your diet.
3. Focus on your gut health
There is a very strong connection between out gut health and our overall health. Our body has trillions of bacteria (no kidding!) and most of them are found in our gut. This ecosystem of microorganisms that live in our large and small intestines make up the gut microbiome. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome has a definite impact on overall health, because it plays several crucial roles within our body.
The gut microbiome regulates hormones by moderating feelings of fullness and insulin resistance. So focus on your gut health and your hormones will thank you. To get started on your gut health journey, here are some easy-to-incorporate everyday habits to improve gut health.
4. Stay away from sugar
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but it can make your hormones go haywire. Minimizing your sugar intake can play a key role in optimizing hormone health and avoiding diseases like diabetes and obesity. Insulin imbalance, one of the most common hormonal issues, is directly linked to consumption of too much sugar. Insulin imbalance increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and can also cause chronically high blood sugar.
Reducing or completely eliminating added sugar in your diet can go a long way in improving your hormonal health. Sugar can be a sneaky sidekick in several foods though, apart from the obvious suspects. While you may know to avoid sweetened drinks, cookies and pastries, sugar can also be present in pasta sauce, ketchup and salad dressing. So eat more mindfully and don’t forget to read those labels to check for added sugar.
5. Get in a workout regularly
Physical exercise can strongly influence hormonal health and hormonal function. Exercise increases hormone receptor sensitivity, enhancing the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals. Research shows that regular exercise may improve insulin resistance and can help regulate insulin levels. Plus, a good workout also boosts mood enhancing hormones like endorphins and reduces stress hormones. What’s more, medical experts say that regular physical activity can also help prevent hormonal bone loss. Regular exercise may also help boost muscle maintaining hormones that decline with age, such as testosterone.
Try and workout between 4-6 times per week, and aim at a mix of cardio and strength training. You can choose from a variety of workouts such as high intensity interval training, Zumba, yoga or swimming. Include strength training in your workout routine at least twice a week. If you’re unable to do high intensity workouts, even good old walking can help optimize your hormonal health. So stay active in whatever form that works best for you.
6. Stress Less
Easier said than done, but stress is linked to so many lifestyle ailments these days it’s not even funny. Often it also seems like the most innocuous item on the list, but lowering stress is probably the most important thing we can do to optimize overall well being. Stress can have a huge impact on our hormonal function. Chronic stress leads to an over production of cortisol, the stress hormone. This in turn can disrupt other hormonal processes including our metabolic, immune and reproductive function.
Typically when we are stressed, our body responds by producing cortisol. This response usually ends once the stressor has passed. But chronic stress damages the feedback mechanisms that help the hormone system return to normal, causing cortisol levels to remain elevated. This in turn stimulates the appetite and increases cravings for sugary, fatty foods. Remember stress eating? It’s a thing, alright!
All this to say, we really need to start taking stress reduction seriously. Before you start stressing over how to reduce stress though, take a breather. It’s really not that hard. Just find a stress busting activity that you like and that you can fit into your schedule. Activities like meditation and deep breathing can help regulate cortisol levels and support hormonal health. Not your jam? Try swimming, dancing, knitting or art. Even something as simple as listening to music, going for a post dinner walk or just saying no to socializing you’d rather avoid can do the trick.
7. And sleep more
If stress is on the list, can sleep be far behind? Just like you can’t out train a bad diet, you can’t skimp on sleep. No matter how nutritious your diet or regular your workout, if your sleep is messed up, it will mess your hormones too. Getting good quality, restorative sleep is essential to good health and poor sleep can cause hormonal imbalance. Sleep deprivation cam impair insulin sensitivity and can also increase cortisol levels.
Several studies have shown the impact a lack of sleep can have on our hormones. In fact, a small study of 14 healthy adults found that as little as 5 nights of sleep deprivation decreased insulin sensitivity by 25%! Prefer power naps over a good night’s sleep? Think again. The human brain needs uninterrupted sleep to go through all five stages of each sleep cycle. This is crucial for the release of the growth hormone, which happens at night during deep sleep.
So for optimal hormone health, ensure you get 7 hours of good quality sleep every night. Even better, aim for 8 hours of shut eye.
8. Eat healthy fats
We’re thinking almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, olive oil, avocados, fatty fish: foods with healthy fats. Some medical experts also recommend starting your day with healthy fats such as a spoonful of ghee or coconut oil. Including high quality natural fats in your diet is a great way to regulate appetite and reduce insulin resistance. These fats also protect against inflammation and can prevent cortisol levels from rising.
9. Guard against endocrine disruptors
Some products contain endocrine disruptors; chemicals which can interfere with hormone function. For example, bisphenol A (BPA) which may be found in food packaging. Or phthalates which may be present in cosmetics and plastics. Reducing exposure to these endocrine disruptors can help maintain optimal hormone health.
Some of the measures you can take to reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors include:
- Buy organic produce. If this isn’t possible, ensure that you wash and peel your fruits and vegetables thoroughly
- Avoid plastics. Choose stainless steel or glass instead
- Read the labels on cleaning products. Use basic cleaning products such as vinegar and baking soda where possible
- Choose wholesome, homemade food over processed foods
- Avoid or minimize exposure to cosmetics with phthalates. Read labels and choose wisely
If you’ve been experiencing symptoms like unexplained fatigue, irregular periods or mood swings, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor. This is especially important if these symptoms persist even after making corrective lifestyle changes. Staying regular with your annual health check up is a good idea too. A standard annual health check up usually screens for hormone related conditions such as high blood sugar and thyroid imbalance.
The bottom line? While there are several factors (including ageing) beyond our control that can affect our hormones, we can take charge of our hormonal health through several lifestyle changes. Eating healthy, regular exercise, getting enough sleep and a good dose of relaxation will help those hormones stay healthy and happy.