HORMONAL BALANCE
“There is so much power in understanding your body and reconnecting to it.”
Women go through many hormonal changes and shifts throughout their lifetime, and for many of those shifts we are unprepared and already disconnected to our bodies. Sound like you? Hormones are messengers that have profound effects on your mental, physical and emotional health. They help play a role in your appetite, weight, mood and many other things. Sooooooo, what do you do and where do you begin when you feel like they are out of whack?? There are many factors that can affect hormones and the HPTA (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid and Adrenals) axis which supports hormones. Let’s look at some things we can do on our own to support our bodies as we move through these shifts.
LOVE YOURSELF- Raise your hand if you hate having your picture taken or hate looking in the mirror? I know my hand went up. We are so incredibly hard on ourselves as women and for most of us that starts at a very young age. I remember it happening to me and I see it in my 8 and 10-year-old daughters already (I am working hard to break that pattern early!). So how do we do this? You can start by smiling at yourself daily, saying positive statements each day, letting go of unrealistic ideas of what you “should” look like and thanking your body for everything it does. One of the best and probably the hardest things to do is to stand in front of the mirror naked and say, “I love you.” Yep, just DO IT every day and watch how things change.
Take care of your nervous system- Your body cannot heal (and produce hormones) if your nervous system doesn’t feel safe. There are many modalities for taking care of your nervous system such as chiropractic care, meditation, prayer, breathwork, healing trauma, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping, doing things you love and re-read the first bullet point above!
Whole Food Nutrition- Food is medicine. Eating nutrient dense and mineral-filled meals every day plays a huge part in supporting our hormonal health. It’s important for women, especially over the age of 40 to eat enough protein (aim for 25-30 grams each meal). Eating enough protein provides our bodies with the essential amino acids it can’t produce on its own and your endocrine glands make hormones from these amino acids. Our hormones also rely on good healthy fats such as avocados, walnuts, salmon and olive oil.
Supplements- Sometimes you can do all the things listed above and your body still needs a little help. Standard Process and Mediherb are whole food supplements and herbs that naturally support your body. The supplements that would be recommended are on a case-by-case basis. Two of the main supplements to support women’s hormonal health are Paraplex and Symplex F. Symplex F supports healthy function of the ovaries and the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid glands. Paraplex supports the pancreas and the adrenal, thyroid and pituitary glands. Both supplements balance the female endocrine system. Paraplex is used in place of Symplex F if there are sugar handling problems.
Gut Health and Liver Love- About 30% of hormone production happens in the gut and liver health is key in the detoxification and conversion of hormones. Supporting your gut through a well-balanced and diverse diet is a great place to start. Some other ways to support your gut are by adding in some prebiotics and probiotics. Check out the Gut/Brain axis blog for more ways to support your gut. Supporting the liver can be as easy as adding in some digestive bitters and eating cruciferous veggies throughout the week. Supplements such as A-F Betafood and LivCo are also a great way to show your liver some love.
Exercise/Movement- We hear it all the time, our bodies were designed to move. As Dr. Darin always says we are bi-peds not butt-peds😊. Most systems in our body (blood, lymph etc..) are made to flow, and when we sit all day, our energy becomes stagnant. Find a way to move each day. If you are just beginning to add exercise into your lifestyle, start out small so you can be successful. Success feeds motivation and motivation feeds success. Whether it be walking, running, yoga, weightlifting, tai chi, qi gong, biking or hiking, just make the commitment to get movement in each day. Movement supports hormones by increasing hormone receptor sensitivity and enhancing the delivery of nutrients to the organs, so they function with ease. Exercise is great for the gut, your hormones and your mood!
Seed Cycling- Seed cycling is the practice of eating specific seeds during the two main phases of your menstrual cycle (follicular and luteal) to help promote the healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone levels. Here is a great article if you are interested in learning more about seed cycling.https://nourishedbynutrition.com/seed-cycling-for-hormone-balance/
Sleep- Sleep is when our bodies heal, repair and regenerate. Lack of sleep is directly correlated with many health concerns and has a HUGE impact on hormonal health. Lack of quality sleep directly affects the HPTA axis by producing excess amounts of cortisol and directly affecting the pituitary gland which controls the secretion of other hormones from the peripheral endocrine glands. Most of us do not get the adequate amount of restorative sleep that is needed. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Some ways you can get yourself ready for sleep are by creating a bedtime routine, eating dinner no later than 3 hours before bed, meditate, pray, write down what you are grateful for and use blue light blockers or better yet turn off any devices 45 min before you go to bed.
Balancing hormones can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be, and it’s completely possible to bring more balance into your endocrine system. Balancing hormones is a journey and not a sprint. Start with 1 or 2 of these suggestions above and find what works best for you and your life. At Vitality we offer saliva based adrenal and hormonal tests. These tests are a great starting point and give us some clues into your specific needs. If you feel like you need some support, reach out to us and schedule a consultation!