5 natural ways to balance hormones

Thu 18 Feb 2021

Since the past few weeks, have you noticed that you're being extremely sad or have a sudden burst of feelings? Wondering what this could be? Well it can be due to some hormone imbalance in your body. The human body consists of various hormones like insulin, serotonin,adrenaline, and oxytocin; all of these controls play a vital role in the functioning of our body. These hormones are responsible for metabolism, sleep, mood, growth and heart rate.

One of the major health problems faced by both men and women these days are hormone imbalance. These days women are prone to experiencing more often due to a variety of factors. Some of the common factors include : menstruation, puberty, menopause, cancer treatments, medication, stress, trauma, eating disorders and tumors. Hormones play an essential role in both your mental and physical wellbeing.

Before learning about natural ways to balance your hormones, let us look at some common symptoms in both men and women.

●    Infertility
●    Depression
●    Fatigue
●    Sweating
●    Frequent urination
●    Sudden weight loss or gain
●    Decreased or increased heart rate
●    Sharp pain and swelling in joints
●    Muscle weakness
●    Moods swings
●    Nervousness or anxiety
●    Blurred vision
●    Night sweats (common in women)
●    Headaches
●    Vaginal dryness (in women)

If you are experiencing one or more of the above symptoms, it doesn’t mean that you have hormone imbalance. It is always good to check your physician before coming to a conclusion.

Oftentimes there is no single test to diagnose hormone imbalance, however you can make an appointment for a physical examination. If you are having hormonal problems, then you may take medication after consulting your doctor,  but the best and the safest way to cure is through natural remedies.

Five natural ways to balance hormones are :

1. Eat a balanced diet - Eating a diet rich in all the essential nutrients is vital for overall health. One effective way to keep a check on your hormones is incorporating foods high in fatty acids such as coconut oil, salmon, avocado, and butter. Along with fats, your system needs proteins like lentils, eggs, chicken, and nuts. Along with fat, protein, include foods high in fiber such as apple, carrots, and cucumber. In order to keep your hormones in check, you have to cut down on highly processed foods and sugar.
2. Focus on managing your stress- One of the root causes of hormone imbalance is an increased level of stress hormone, cortisol. A high level of cortisol affects metabolism, libido and mood. It is healthy to focus on reducing stress levels, one of the best ways to do this is to indulge in yoga and meditation. Some stress relieving activities include spending time with your loved ones, exercise, reduce intake of caffeine, breathing exercises, and listening to calming music.
3. Adequate sleep- Along with proper nutrition and exercise, you need to make sure you're resting your body. On average adults need upto 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Poor sleeping patterns leads to a number of health problems, one of which is hormone imbalance. Lack of adequate sleep is associated with lower levels of cortisol, insulin, and growth hormones.
4. Indulge in physical activity - One of the best ways to ensure your hormones are in check is to exercise regularly. It has been shown that a combination of strength and cardio exercise increases feel-good hormone, which further reduces stress. Physical activity also increases the production of testosterone in both males and females. Women who are prone to hormonal imbalance due to menopause, should practice high intensity exercises everyday.
5. Limit the intake of toxins- It has been proven that high levels of toxins substances in the body may disrupt the hormonal balance and the normal metabolic activity. Some good ways to limit the intake of toxins is to eat organic foods, increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, avoid drinking from plastic bottles, thoroughly wash vegetables and fruits, limit the intake of alcoholic beverages and stay away from smoking.      -Akhila