You might be wondering why knowing how to balance your hormones matters. Despite their size, these little chemical messengers play a significant role in controlling your body’s functions. They affect everything from your weight to your mood, to even your appetite!
Your hormonal system is known as your endocrine system. It’s so fine-tuned that even slight changes to hormone levels can have significant impacts on your health, both physically and mentally. And in today’s fast-paced world, the constant stress we’re often subject to, as well as changing diets, mean that hormonal balances have become increasingly commonplace.
Fortunately, there are many simple things you can do if you’re interested in knowing how to balance your hormones naturally. In this article, we’ll discuss five great lifestyle changes that will have you feeling and performing at your best.
Physical activity has big impacts on hormone levels throughout your body. For instance, many types of physical activity have been shown to reduce levels of insulin.
The hormone insulin has many functions, including helping your body get the energy it needs. But high insulin levels have been linked to inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. By reducing your levels of insulin, regular exercise can help prevent you from these dangerous consequences.
If you’re wondering how to balance your hormones naturally, exercise is one of the best changes to adopt. It’s been shown to increase levels of the metabolism-regulating hormone adiponectin and the muscle-maintaining hormones testosterone, IGF-1, DHEA, and growth hormone. Levels of these four hormones naturally decrease with age. That’s why exercise can improve your strength and quality of life, especially as you get older.
Did you know exercise can help you eat better? Studies have shown that even short exercise sessions help regulate appetite-controlling hormones, helping prevent overeating!
But exercise can feel challenging when you’re already tired and have a busy schedule. Do you want to know how to balance your hormones with no effort at all?
It’s simple - get more sleep. Ensuring you regularly get a full 7-8 hours of sleep a night can help regulate your body’s endocrine system. This is because the quality of your sleep can lead to shifts in your levels of hormones. Studies have shown that these changes can lead to problems with appetite, obesity, and diabetes.
Proper sleep affects more than just what you eat. Your hormones work on a schedule, and that’s why your circadian rhythm - your sleep-wake cycle - has impacts on all sorts of hormones, including cortisol, which is also known as the ‘stress’ hormone.
When it comes to considering how to balance your hormone levels, even your bedtime matters. As cortisol levels are regulated at midnight, this means that if you go to bed late, you never really get a rest from your fight or flight response.
Poor sleep has also been linked to reduced immunity and a greater risk of anxiety and depression. On the other hand, proper rest can help build energy and allow your body to recover properly.
If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, try taking a warm bath or shower at night. It is also beneficial to turn off electronics or avoid looking at screens an hour before bed.
Are you worrying about how to balance your hormones? Calm down. No, really - chronic stress is bad for your endocrine system.
It can both create hormone imbalances and exacerbate existing ones. In contrast, research has shown that regularly practising de-stressing techniques can improve your insulin levels and reduce your stress levels.
Even low levels of stress can lead to increases in adrenaline and cortisol. High levels of these hormones can disrupt your body’s balance and increase your risks of obesity, changes in mood, and even heart disease!
The right stress-reduction technique is the one that works for you. Yoga, meditation, or going for a long walk in the park are all great options if you’re wondering how to balance your hormones, and reduce stress, too.
Green tea is more than a trendy beverage - it’s really good for you. It contains numerous compounds that have positive effects on your body. For instance, the caffeine found in green tea boosts the metabolism. This traditional drink also contains antioxidants, such as epigallocatechin gallate, which offer numerous health benefits.
Research has suggested that green tea can lower insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity - even in people with insulin-resistant conditions, such as obesity or diabetes!
Drinking one to three cups of green tea a day is an excellent option if you want to know how to balance your hormones using this delicious drink. Plus, the antioxidants and compounds found in it will boost your metabolic health and calm you down.
What you put into your body has a big impact on how you feel.
Avoiding or minimising your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates can have a significant impact on helping your hormones function better. This will also help you avoid diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
For instance, the sugar fructose (which is table sugar, honey and maple syrup) can increase insulin levels. Wondering how else to balance your hormones by tweaking your diet? Follow a low to moderate carbohydrate diet based on whole foods instead.
As you can see, a few simple lifestyle changes can make a big difference on how your body feels and functions.
If you need a little more help, just turn to the Global Health Clinics team. Please get in touch with us now at +64 (09) 488 0208 to learn more about our Beat Fatigue programme - the scientific backed, natural way to overcome adrenal and chronic fatigue and get your hormones back in balance.
