Hormonal imbalance is one of the most common and widespread issues that women face. It’s not just an uncomfortable phase that your body will grow out of; it is a sign that something is wrong in your body. These imbalances can range from PMS to menopause, but regardless of where you are in your hormonal cycle, imbalance means your body isn’t functioning optimally.
The good news is that there are things you can do to bring balance back into your life and increase your self-confidence once again. And the great news is you don’t have to take pills or get shots to do so! A step-by-step guide to balancing your hormones naturally is all you need.
WHAT CAUSES THE HORMONAL IMBALANCE?
A wide array of factors can be attributed to hormonal imbalance including genetics, stress, diet, lifestyle, and environment. You may be surprised to learn that lifestyle factors are a leading cause of hormonal imbalance. How you deal with stress, your diet, how much you exercise, and how you go about your day-to-day activities all affect how your hormones are regulated and how efficiently your body works as a whole.
It’s important to note that hormonal imbalance is not a disease or a disorder. Rather, it is a sign that your body is not balanced or working correctly. This can be due to a number of factors, including genetics, stress, and diet.
5 EASY WAYS TO BALANCE YOUR HORMONES NATURALLY
There are a variety of ways to combat hormonal imbalance naturally. These include taking advantage of your body’s circadian rhythms, reducing your stress and anxiety, eating the right foods, managing your sleep, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated. Know more ways to balance your hormones naturally.
Circadian rhythms: When you go about your day like a well-oiled machine, you’ll notice that your body takes on a natural rhythm. For example, you might notice that you always go to bed around the same time every night regardless of what you have planned. Or, you might always wake up at the same time each morning regardless of how much sleep you’ve gotten. The circadian rhythm in your body works to regulate your hormones and keep you balanced at all times.
Sleep: Sometimes the most simple things are the ones we forget about or ignore. The amount of sleep you get every night can have a huge impact on your hormone balance. Sleep is a time for your body to rest and heal itself. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t have enough time to repair itself as it should. This can lead to a hormone imbalance in which your body produces too many stress hormones and not enough restorative hormones.
Exercise: When you exercise, you are giving your body what it needs to produce new cells, build strength, and stay flexible. This can help to regulate your hormones and keep them in check.
Hydration: Staying hydrated is important in many ways. It helps flush toxins out of your body and serves as a natural diuretic. When you’re well-hydrated, you’re also helping to balance your hormones because you’re giving your cells the water they need to function properly.
Stress and anxiety reduction: You may not realize it, but stress and anxiety are two of the biggest contributors to hormonal imbalance. Managing your stress and finding ways to reduce anxiety in your life can help to bring your hormones back into balance.
MORNING RITUAL TO START BALANCING YOUR HORMONES
Healthy habits like a morning ritual can go a long way in helping to balance your hormones. Having a consistent morning ritual can help boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels, and can even help you to lose weight! Start your day with a healthy breakfast. The best option for breakfast is a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fibre.
Choose whole grains and legumes such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, quinoa, black beans, pinto beans, and navy beans. Top it with almonds and walnuts. Stay hydrated throughout the day with water, coconut water, and green tea. Sleep 7 to 8 hours a day. Exercise regularly. Keep a journal to track your daily activities and progress. Reduce stress and anxiety. Practice mindfulness and meditation.
STAY HYDRATED AND INCREASE WATER INTAKE NATURALLY
Water is one of the best ways to balance your hormones and start taking control of your health. It’s easy to forget to stay hydrated, but when you do, your body doesn’t function at peak capacity. Being hydrated can help to balance your hormones, keep you energized, and reduce stress.
When your body is hydrated, it functions at its full capacity, which means it can better regulate your hormones. It can also help you to feel less stressed because you’re getting enough water to flush out toxins. This can help to reduce your PMS symptoms and other menstrual cycle issues.
TRY BREATHING EXERCISES TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY
Breathing exercises are a great way to bring balance to your hormones. They help to calm your body down and are proven to reduce stress and anxiety. When we’re stressed and anxious, our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, which can trigger stress hormones and lead to an imbalanced system. Breathing exercises are a great way to bring your body back into balance and are easy to practice almost anywhere.
When you’re feeling stressed out, try deep breathing exercises. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in and out. Aim to breathe in for four seconds and then exhale for six seconds. Try to do this for five minutes every day and notice how it affects your mood and ability to stay calm.
INCORPORATE MORE FATTY ACIDS IN YOUR DIET
Hormonal imbalance can also be attributed to an imbalance of fatty acids. When you have too many omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3 fatty acids, this can trigger an imbalance in your hormones. This is because omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation in your body while omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in things like nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils while omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, walnuts, and flax seeds. You can combat this issue by adding more fatty acids to your diet and reducing the number of saturated fats in your diet. Choose foods like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Nuts like almonds and walnuts are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
GET RID OF BAD FATS IN YOUR DIET BY EATING MORE PROTEIN-RICH FOODS
Bad fats, like saturated fat, are the culprits in increasing inflammation in your body. They can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries, which can lead to problems like heart disease. The easiest way to get rid of bad fats in your diet and balance your fatty acids is to cut back on red meat and opt for more protein-rich foods such as fish, beans, eggs, and tofu.
Eating more protein-rich foods can help to reduce the number of bad fats in your diet and help to balance your fatty acids. Reducing your intake of bad fats and increasing your intake of protein-rich foods can also help to reduce your PMS symptoms and relieve menstrual cramps.
REGULAR EXERCISE WILL HELP YOU COMBAT STRESS, BUILD STRENGTH AND INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
Exercising regularly is an important part of keeping your hormones balanced. It can help to reduce stress, build strength, and increase flexibility. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which are natural mood-boosting hormones. This can help to reduce your stress levels and anxiety.
Exercising can also help you to sleep better at night and improve your overall mood. Exercising regularly can help to reduce PMS symptoms like cramps, bloating, and mood swings. It can also help to regulate your menstrual cycle and increase your fertility. All in all, exercise can be a great way to bring your hormones back into balance and improve your health and wellbeing.
CONCLUSION
Our hormones play an integral role in our day-to-day lives. They directly impact our mood, energy levels, appetite, metabolism, sleep cycles, and more. When our hormones are out of balance, it can negatively affect all of these areas.
