Hormonal imbalances lie at the root of a host of common health concerns that affect many, if not most of us at some stage in our lives. Whether it is teenage (or adult) acne, PMS, fertility issues, fibroids, weight gain, fatigue, mood swings, blood sugar imbalances, osteoporosis, premature aging, insomnia, loss of libido, my guess is that you have experienced at least one of these symptoms of hormonal havoc. Some of you might be dealing with an actual diagnosis such as PCOS, Endometriosis, or Hypothyroidism.
I know that I have had my share of issues in this area: acne and PMS as a teenager, mood swings, sleep issues and skin problems related to estrogen dominance in my 30s, adrenal dysfunction a few years ago and now I find myself in the perimenopausal stage which presents entirely different challenges!
Fortunately there are many ways to support hormonal balance naturally and take back control of your health, your life and your sanity! There is no quick fix and neither will you ever be “done”: as your body, the environment and your circumstances keep changing, so does your need to adjust and course correct.
But despite these caveats, achieving hormonal balance is within reach! If you are ready to do what it takes, make diet and lifestyle changes, use some good natural supplements, work on optimizing your digestive health, you can be well on your way to feeling better and resolving many of your health concerns.
Today, in part 1 of “Balance Your Hormones Naturally”, I will look at important areas in the body and how imbalances in these areas can affect your hormones. I will cover how eating the right diet for your unique situation is essential and what are the nutritional principles that will help everyone move towards hormonal balance.
The wondrous world of hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers, secreted by the endocrine glands that govern most bodily functions. The role of the endocrine system is ultimately to maintain balance and to regulate important processes such as growth, reproduction and development.
The way this system works is truly amazing. It depends on an intricately complex communication and feedback system and can be compared to an orchestra with a conductor and many musicians, who need to be finely tuned in to one another in order to create that perfect symphony.
Many things influence that delicate balance but there are 4 areas that can be considered of prime importance when it comes to building a strong foundation for hormonal health.
1. Adrenal Function
Our adrenal glands are the tiny glands atop our kidneys responsible for regulating the stress response in our bodies through the synthesis of a number of different hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. The adrenal glands are, in a way, the fuel tank of our bodies. Designed to respond to a sudden stressful situation they release (among other things) adrenalin and cortisol, which get the body ready with increased levels of energy and focus so you can “fight” or “flight” from the stressor you encountered. When the situation has resolved, you adapt and your body recovers so that you can go on with non-emergency functions such as digestion, repair, reproduction etc.
However, sometimes life is an ongoing chain of stressful events. You might be facing deadlines at work, eating a not-so-healthy diet, entertaining often with alcohol and late nights, dealing with relationship issues or worrying about the health of a relative. Maybe you live in the city and have to deal with traffic, pollution or a long commute to work.
There are so many different things that cause us stress and when there is no time for the body to recover and adapt the adrenals pump out high levels of cortisol continuously thereby not only affecting essential functions in the body but also disrupting hormonal balance. Thyroid issues, and steroid hormone imbalance often happen as a result of continuously elevated cortisol levels.
As you can see it is very important to address the stress in your life. Mental/emotional stress but also the “internal” stress caused by a poor diet, nutrient deficiencies, infections, toxicity etc.
You can read a bit more about adrenal health here.
2. Blood Sugar Balance
When we eat a carbohydrate it gets broken down into simple sugars, which are then absorbed into the blood stream causing blood sugar levels to rise. This triggers the release of the hormone insulin by the pancreas, which signals cells to pull glucose out of the blood stream and into storage. This mechanism helps to keep blood sugar levels in a normal range.
When we are continuously flooding our system with high sugar foods it can eventually cause that system to falter leading to blood sugar highs and lows, insulin resistance, continuously high blood sugar levels, etc.
This in turn can affect the body and brain in several negative ways and hormonal imbalance is one of them. As I mentioned earlier, the adrenals are involved in blood sugar regulation and imbalances in this area become an additional “stressor” on the already taxed adrenal glands contributing to the whole cascade of hormonal imbalances.
Here is where it becomes important to address your diet and reduce carbohydrate consumption, most importantly refined sugar and high sugar foods. Eating a healthy whole foods diet and including healthy fats, fiber and protein in every meal further helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
You can read more about sugar and why you should cut it out from your diet here.
3. Gut Health
All (hormonal) health begins in the gut. Having a healthy and well functioning digestive system with a fully intact barrier system and healthy gut flora leads to optimal immune function, nutrient uptake and detoxification.
Imbalances in any of these areas contribute to issues with detoxification, which in turn affects the liver, can lead to nutrient deficiencies, immune issues, all of which can cause ripple effects in the area of hormone balance.
Again here is where diet is critical. Removing foods that contribute to intestinal inflammation, working to support digestive function, eating fermented foods and probiotics to support the beneficial gut flora, making sure the body is eliminating toxins efficiently all work towards building gut health and hormonal health.
You can read more about digestive health here.
4. Liver Function
We know the liver as the body’s main detox organ, responsible for breaking down and eliminating harmful toxins but some of its other important functions include the detoxification of excess hormones, conversion of thyroid hormones into their free and usable forms, the production of serum proteins that act as hormone carriers and the regulation of sex hormones.
You can see how a compromised liver function can have a ripple effect on your hormonal balance and it is therefore important to support your liver function.
I have written a more detailed post on liver health with tips on how to support this important organ’s function here.
Diet First
When it comes to building good health there is not just one thing that is going to do the trick. Finding the right diet for your unique body and circumstances is essential but so is movement, sleep, eliminating toxins, enjoying good relationships, spiritual wellbeing, stress management, having a purpose and so on.
Even though all these areas need to be addressed adjusting your diet helps to build a strong foundation. Eating a healthy whole foods diet that is right for you will ensure that your body and mind are getting the right building blocks in the form of macro and micronutrients.
Everybody is unique and I work with my clients to identify their unique requirements in terms of nutrition, but there are a few principles that apply to everyone, no matter what the circumstances:
- Eat real food: unrefined, unprocessed, traditional and wholesome, preferably seasonal and local.
- Bump up your rainbow colored vegetable intake to increase nutrients and fiber in your diet
- Eliminate inflammatory foods such as sugar, GMO foods and unhealthy fats such as transfats and refined vegetable seed oils. These eliminations are a must to get started but a lot of people, especially those with health issues may need to go further than this and eliminate gluten, dairy and perhaps other foods as well.
- Avoid overeating and unlimited snacking and eat with awareness, chewing properly to support your digestion.
These principles, even though very simple and straightforward, can be very powerful in building a strong foundation for health in general and hormonal health in particular.
If you focus on supporting the 4 areas I covered in this article and you apply these 4 principles in your life, you will start seeing a difference in the way you feel and in the symptoms that are related to your hormonal balance.
Stay tuned for part 2 of Take Control of your Hormones in which I will share my Top 10 Tips for Hormone Balance.
Be Well!
Monique
