Can You Balance Hormones Naturally?

Your body makes chemical messengers called hormones that play a key role in health and well-being by controlling everything from your moods to your metabolism. The pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreatic, and adrenal glands, as well as the ovaries and testes, are all part of the endocrine system. Hormones affect processes like: –  

• Growth and development 
• Metabolism (the process in which food is converted into energy) 
• Sexual functions 
• Reproduction 
• Moods 

Even a minor disruption in your hormone balance can have serious consequences for your health, ranging from weakened immunity, increased sweating, hair loss, and unexplained bruises to heart attacks and strokes. 

Do you have any of these symptoms? 

• Fatigue & Muscle weakness 
• Feeling jittery or shaky 
• Insomnia 
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Anxiety or depression 
• Brain fog 
• Irregular menstrual cycle and heavy bleeding during periods 
• Excess facial hair growth 
• Unexplained weight gain or loss 
• Feeling cold or Hot flashes 
• Dry skin 
• Hair loss 
• Bone or joint pain 
• Decreased sex drive 

An endocrinologist can help you get the answers and treatment you need.  

Have any questions? Call 718-DORAL-500 to schedule an Endocrinology Consultation Session. 

Hormonal changes are a natural process as we transition to various stages in our lives (for example, your testosterone and estrogen levels rise and are responsible for puberty as you grow).  

Although sometimes these changes can be brought about by an unhealthy lifestyle and stress. In this article, you will learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and tips to maintain your hormones naturally.  

5 tips to maintain your hormones naturally   

1. Eat a balanced diet: ‘You are what you eat!’ So, make sure to watch what you put into your mouth and body. Nutritionists have recommended a variety of diets from time to time. Though they might have different names, they have a few things in common—they favor natural foods, are largely plant-based diets, and consist of healthy fats, no processed sugars, and low sodium. 

Here are the key ingredients to a balanced, healthy diet: 

• natural, unprocessed foods (not pre-packaged meals and snacks).  
• It includes fresh fruits and vegetables and salads.  
• It contains plenty of protein.  
• It is low in sugar and salt.  
• It incorporates “healthy fats” like fish and olive oil. 
• Healthy snacks like nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.), Greek yogurt, or fruits like a banana. 

A healthy diet keeps your metabolism and weight in check and ensures that your body is getting the right amount of nutrients and helps maintain your hormones at optimal levels. 

2. Exercise regularly: – Having a workout routine helps your body by increasing blood flow to your muscles and increasing hormone receptor sensitivity leading to improved delivery of nutrients and oxygen.  

• One of the major benefits is that it stabilizes your insulin levels. Insulin helps to maintain sugar levels in our body which can cause diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. 
• Regular exercise can also lead to decreased stress levels which balance ‘cortisol’ levels preventing many diseases like obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke.  

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes [about 2 and a half hours] of moderate-intensity activity a week (like taking a brisk walk, jogging, cycling, swimming, or low-intensity aerobic exercise).  

3. Reduce processed/refined sugar intake: – Refined and processed sugars (like high fructose corn syrup, and table sugar), donuts, cakes, and sugary drinks (sodas, fruit juices), are easy & instant mood pick-up options. 

But they have extremely harmful effects as they can mess with the levels of insulin, leptin, testosterone, estrogen, and other hormones (and their feedback mechanisms).  

•  It can lead to severe mood swings, and cravings and increases your risk of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), lower libido, and erectile dysfunction as well as heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity. 
• Sugars have fructose that can disrupt the gut microbiome, and decrease the production of Leptin, which is responsible for your calorie-burning process and weight.  

Skip those sodas and juice boxes and choose to go for natural healthier options like a slice of orange or a fruit salad for your sugar needs! 

4. Try to reduce/eliminate stress: – Managing your stress levels is particularly important because it has a direct impact on your hormones, causing them to go haywire.  

• There is a hormone called ‘Cortisol’ that controls the stress response in your body. But if your stress levels exceed the limits, or if you are always stressed, it can cause an imbalance in the feedback mechanisms that control your cortisol levels, which may cause disturbances in your insulin levels (and many other hormones) which can lead to obesity, heart disease, mood swings, and cardiovascular diseases.  

Try meditation, mindfulness, music, dance, or yoga to manage your stress throughout the day! If everything else fails, remember to take deep breaths…… and calm yourself!  

5. Get good quality sleep: – Sleep is one of the key factors in maintaining a good hormonal balance. 

• If you don’t get good quality sleep it can cause imbalances in hormones like insulin, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin, which leads to problems like obesity, diabetes, and loss of appetite. 

 So, ensure a minimum of 7 hours of undisturbed sleep every night. 

Summary 

Hormones play a vital role in the proper functioning of our bodies. So, even minor imbalances can have unbelievably bad consequences for your health. Maintaining a good lifestyle can help to maintain good hormonal balances.  

But if you have concerns or some symptoms, consulting a doctor is your best bet. Call us today at 347 -868-1060.