10 ways to balance your hormones naturally

Are you feeling like you are just “not yourself” lately? Do you get moody for no good reason? Do you suffer from cramps, breakouts, nausea or PMS at that time of the month? 

If so, your hormones could be out of whack. 

When we push our bodies too hard, often our bodies push back! We live stressed out, busy lives, and an imbalanced lifestyle can cause imbalance in our bodies.  

But here’s the good news: you can balance your hormones on your own, naturally… and when you balance your hormones, you heal your body.

Let’s begin with the basics. 

What Are Hormones And Why Do They Matter?

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers—insulin, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, cortisol, and more. They are made in one part of the body then travel to other parts of the body where they help control how cells and organs do their work. Hormones are essential to every facet of your body’s health. They help you to feel balanced and regulate your body’s processes, like hunger, blood pressure, and sexual desire. Since hormones are so important, they must play in harmony for your body to function optimally.

Meet Three Of Your Body’s Hormones:

• Ghrelin – HUNGER hormone – ghrelin rises when you haven’t eaten enough food, and it makes you extra hungry to guide you to eat more.

• Melatonin – SLEEP hormone – melatonin rises at night, and it helps your body know when it’s time to sleep and wake up.

• Cortisol – STRESS hormone – this is your “fight-or-flight” hormone, and it is designed to let you know when you’re in danger.

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers—insulin, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, cortisol, and more. They are made in one part of the body then travel to other parts of the body where they help control how cells and organs do their work. Hormones are essential to every facet of your body’s health. They help you to feel balanced and regulate your body’s processes, like hunger, blood pressure, and sexual desire. Since hormones are so important, they must play in harmony for your body to function optimally.

Are My Hormones Balanced? Take The Quiz:

Take this simple quiz below – if you say yes to 3+ symptoms below, your hormones could be out of sync.

Signs you might be suffering from hormonal imbalance:

• Mood Swings

• Acne Along Jawline or Cheek

• Intense PMS

• Bloating

• Puffiness (caused by fluid retention)

• Mid-Section Weight Gain

• Dry Skin

• Sensitive to Cold or Heat

• Daily Fatigue

• Chronic Migraines

• Thinning Hair or Hair Loss

• Excess Sweating

• Increased Hunger

• Decreased Sex Drive

• Trouble Sleeping

• Irregular Periods

• Infertility

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Muscle Aches – Tenderness

If you said yes to 3+ symptoms above, you’re not alone. It’s pretty easy to throw your hormones out of harmony. Stress, poor sleep, nutrient deficiencies, an overloaded liver, diabetes, being over/under weight, birth control, exposure to toxins + endocrine disrupting chemicals may all affect the balance of hormones in your body. 

These are some of the most common hormonal imbalances: PCOS, estrogen dominance, low estrogen, hypothyroidism, low testosterone, adrenal fatigue.

But, I have marvelous news – you can heal your hormones! While hormonal imbalances sometimes require working with an endocrinologist or another specialist, you have tremendous power over balancing your hormones naturally. Many of my clients have successfully regained balance by following the tips below. 

10 Ways To Balance Your Hormones Naturally

① Cut Back On Caffeine: Studies in humans have shown that caffeine raises cortisol levels as soon as it enters the body. Switch to tea, cacao elixir, chai, or matcha if you still want a little boost. If you don’t want to give up your cup of joe, try keeping it to 1 cup before 10AM.

② Remove Refined Sugar: Sugar causes unbalanced blood sugar levels, and a high sugar diet contributes towards inflammation in the body (which can cause those highly undesirable symptoms of PMS and worsen sugar cravings). Swap white sugar and artificial sweeteners for organic maple, raw honey and stevia.

③ Add In Healthy Fats: First, it’s important to know that hormones are formed from fat and cholesterol. So, don’t be afraid to enjoy healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil to your diet. It will help your body better absorb all of those wonderful vitamins and minerals it needs. 

④ No More Plastic: Synthetic chemicals like BPA found in plastics can mimic hormones and interfere with or disrupt the delicate hormone balance. Think twice about plastics and swap plastic food storage containers with glass or stainless steel. 

⑤ Avoid Processed And Packaged Foods: Many artificial additives creep into processed foods during the production process. While not just limited to processed foods, many GMO ingredients find their way into processed snacks. GMOs are often linked to estrogen imbalance.

⑥ Eat Regularly: Make sure you don’t skip meals. This will help keep ghrelin, the “hunger hormone” at bay and help you to avoid binge-eating. 

⑦ Minimize Stress: When your body responds to stress, it releases stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) into the bloodstream.  Engage in practices such as meditation, journaling, exercise and sleep to keep your stress levels down. 

⑧ Wake With The Sunrise: Morning sunshine regulates the body’s circadian rhythm (our internal clock) and melatonin production. More light in the morning means more waking hormones and more sleep hormones, melatonin, at night.

⑨ Balance Your Exercise Routine: Exercise is incredible for regulating your body’s stress hormones, and triggering the release of endorphins (your happy hormones!). A balance between high intensity training (HIIT, cardio, boot camps etc.) and restorative/ low intensity (yoga, walking, Pilates) or rest days is key to managing your cortisol (stress) hormones.

⑩ Beware Of Birth Control: It can disrupt your body’s natural hormonal balance—specifically the balance between estrogen and progesterone. 

Results don’t appear overnight, so it’s important to be consistent and adjust your everyday routine to support hormone balance. It may take up to 3 months to harmonize your hormones, but don’t give up.

Be patient and listen to your body. When you feel like something is imbalanced, you are most likely correct.