5 Essential Tips to Balance your Hormones
It all starts in the gut….
If you haven’t noticed that goes for a LOT of things!
Balancing our hormones is related to more than just the food we eat. Many hormones are produced + impacted by the intestinal flora (microbiota), SO hormone balancing should start in our gut.
Digestion is a north to south process. Each step along the way requires attention for optimal digestion. When one step isn’t working properly it trickles down effecting how all your hormones are produces + used.
Here are 5 of my best tips for hormonal balance:
1- WE NEED CARBS
I would like you to take this little survey -
do you find your energy is low when you work out?
do you experience poor sleep ?
do you have excessive hunger/cravings or no appetite?
do you have low body temp?
do you notice your blood sugar is irregular?
do you have period issues?
do you have a low sex drive?
If you answered yes to any of these it could be an indications your hormones are not balanced. Part of balancing our hormones includes making sure we are getting enough carbs. The amount will depend from person to person - however carbs are very important!
WE NEED CARBS TO:
keep our thyroid healthy
Make GABA (a calming neurotransmitter)
Feed our microbiome!! * this is something we really want to work on
Improve sleep quality
Improve communication from the hypothalamus to the ovaries (ovulation)
Basically carbs are important for happy hormones!
If you diet is already restrictive due to allergies/food sensitivities - by avoiding foods that you AREN’T sensitive to can be even more stressful on the body. Cutting out foods/food groups can be a stressor.
The negative effects of eliminating carbs seems especially true for women. Our bodies typically are more sensitive than men’s to low energy levels or carbohydrate availability. This could be a result of our body being created to have enough body fat + nutrients to carry out a pregnancy.
Many women try to eat low-carb, wanting to be healthier.
BUT because low-carb diets can significantly disrupt hormone production, women with too-low carb intake (especially active women) can face:
a stopped or irregular menstrual cycle
lowered fertility
hypoglycemia + blood sugar rollercoaster
more body fat (especially around the middle)
loss of bone density
anxiety, depression, + other mental health struggles
chronic inflammation + worse chronic pain
fatigue + disrupted sleep
…funny enough, this is the exact opposite of what they wanted in the first place.
You might have heard….Carbs are inflammatory.
If you are talking about processed corn syrup? YES.
But, if we’re talking about properly prepared whole grains, they can help feed our microbiome for a healthy gut!
2- Get More Sleep
Unless you get 7–8 hours of sleep every night, you aren’t doing your body any favours. A lack of sleep or disturbing your natural circadian rhythm can be one of the worst habits contributing to a hormone imbalance.
How so?
Because your hormones work on a schedule! Let’s look at this - cortisol, the primary “stress hormone,” is regulated around midnight. Therefore, people who go to bed late never truly get a break from their sympathetic (flight or fight) stress response.
A lack of sleep + chronic stress are some of the biggest contributors to high cortisol levels. We need to lower cortisol levels in order to fall asleep. If we relax before bed rather than do things to stimulate us, our cortisol levels will drop + we will go to sleep easier + sleep better. In addition - sleep is critical to gut health! Gut microbes regenerate when we sleep.
Sleep helps keep stress hormones balanced, increases our energy + allows the body proper recovery. Excessive stress + poor sleep are linked with higher levels of morning cortisol, decreased immunity, trouble with work performance, + a higher susceptibility to anxiety, weight gain + depression. To maximize hormone function, ideally try to get to bed by 10 pm and stick with a sleep - wake as much as possible. Our bodies like routine.
3- FAT
Healthy fats are the building bocks of all hormones. Fats are especially helpful with stabilizing the production of our stress hormones (cortisol + adrenaline.) It is important to aim to get variety of healthy fats every day. Some good options are:
- extra-virgin olive oil
- ghee
- coconut oil
- walnuts
- avocado
If you have a hard time digesting fats, you may consider taking a digestive enzyme with lipase to help metabolize the fats better.
4- AVOID INFLAMMATORY CULPRITS
Inflammation is an immune response that happens when your body perceives a “threat.”
Highly processed foods such as
refined sugars + processed foods
poor quality fatty meats (poor quality meats can be filled with hormones messing with your estrogen levels)
alcohol
some gluten + dairy foods
—can set off inflammation
When the gut is damaged or disrupted, it flicks on an inflammatory switch that puts your body on the defensive. This then negatively affects your hormone balance + production. Evaluate what inflammatory culprits you could be consuming.
5 - ditch inflammatory oils
It is important to have a balance of omega 3 + omega 6 oils, however the “Standard American Diet” is often high in omega 6 oils. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro- inflammatory chemicals. Oils to avoid include:
canola
soybean
corn
safflower
sunflower
margarine
hydrogenated
rapseed
cottonseed
shortening
refined palm
Many of these oils listed above go through unnatural methods to be extracted which can create free radicals. They can go rancid quickly + have been known to deplete vitamin K2 from the body. Vitamin K2 is an important factor in bone health + wound healing.
Your Women's Hormone Balancing meal plan contains key ingredients to promote healthy sex hormone production and detoxification, adrenal health, and thyroid function. Recipes include adaptogens as well as foods that support liver and gut health.
Just a little extra….if you want to read an interesting study The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Host Metabolism Through the Regulation of Gut Hormone Release
xo erin