The Basics of Hormone Health
What are hormones and why are they important?
Hormones are the chemical messengers in your body that regulate sleep, growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Basically everything! There are around 50 different kinds of hormones, but we are going to focus on the main eight hormones below. These include:
Estrogen - regulates cholesterol levels; urinary tract health; heart and blood vessels; bone health; breast health; skin, hair and mucous membranes; pelvic muscles; and brain health and function.
Progesterone - has a role in breast health, cardio health, nervous system health, healthy brain function, mood regulation, easing anxiety, facilitate memory, and promote healthy sleep and relaxation.
Cortisol - roles in mobilizing energy from storage sites in the body, break down molecules to release energy, reduce inflammation and allergies, prevent lose of sodium in the urine, and helps maintain mood and emotional stability.
Thyroid Gland hormone - regulates metabolism, heart function, digestion, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance.
Pregnenolone - protects neuron sheaths from damage, repair damaged sheaths; enhances memory, motivation and mood; improves sleep quality, reduces PMS and menopause symptoms, and improves immunity.
Testosterone - regulate libido, turn fat to muscle, increase bone density, boost mood, manage stress, support cognitive function, aids in blood cell production and bone growth, and gives a sense of power, motivation, and assertiveness.
DHEA - reduce abdominal fat, improve insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, decrease incidence of heart disease, improve libido, and improves symptoms of depression.
Insulin - regulates the level of glucose in the bloodstream and facilitates the storage of glucose in the liver, muscles, and adipose (fat) tissue.
Melatonin - regulates your internal clock, promotes sleep, aids in detoxification, promotes bone health, regulates metabolism, and improves reproductive, cardiovascular and immune function.
As you can see, each hormone has a special role in keeping your body healthy and functioning at its best. Women follow a monthly hormone cycle that can range from 21-40 days, while men have a 24 hour cycle. For women, every day can bring about a different feeling based on what hormones are peaking that day. So it is very important to consider the phase you are in to best support yourself and your hormones.
Ways to improve hormone balance
If one hormone is out of balance, that means the whole system is out of balance. Hormones act like locks and keys. The locks are always being used by the keys so there are never empty locks. This means if you do not have enough of one hormone to fill all the locks, another hormone will fill its place. This can lead to miscommunication in the cell, organ, or organ system if the issue goes unresolved. An unresolved hormone imbalance could lead to adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, PCOS, PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), oligomenorrhea (irregular periods), amenorrhea (no period), infertility, or chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or dementia.
The good news is there are simple lifestyle changes that can improve your hormone health, they are:
Reduce Stress
Although some stress is necessary for the body to function properly, chronic stress is detrimental to your health. Here are some ways to reduce stress in your life: meditation, journaling about your feelings, gentle yoga, connecting with loved ones, changing your mindset around a situation, or avoid the news for a period of time.
Maximize Nutrition
Your hormones are what you eat. Hormones are made of fat and cholesterol, carbs drive the process of making hormones, and proteins create the whole body in which your hormones interact. In order to create a body that runs smoothly and efficiently, eat the highest quality foods that you can, reduce your intake of processed foods, seed oils and excess sugar, and keep yourself well hydrated.
Move your body
Movement is great for stress relief, aids in detoxification through sweating, and helps to improve insulin sensitivity. Find something you enjoy doing and be consistent. Movement doesn’t have to be intense. It could be gentle yoga, walking, or even house work. The key is finding some way to increase your movement everyday. The goal is at least 30 min of movement a day.
Reduce toxin exposure
Toxins increase stress within your body. Detoxification is a normal everyday process your body goes through to rid itself of toxins, but if the work load is too high, your body can’t keep up. This means that the toxins are free to roam around, wreaking havoc on everything they touch. Some toxins affect hormone production because they mimic hormones like estrogen. Reduce toxin load by switching to clean beauty and green cleaning products, use a water filter, eat organic whole foods, and avoid plastics.
Improve sleep
Poor sleep can lead to stress in the body, poor blood sugar control, and decreased body function. Prioritizing sleep is so important not just for hormone health, but for your health in general. Your body runs on daily cycles and what regulates these cycles? Hormones! Start a bedtime routine, reduce blue light exposure, create a dark/quiet/cool space, and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
Get outside
Studies have shown that nature is a huge component of overall health. It relieves stress, promotes a sense of wellbeing, and can improve your hormones. When your unprotected skin comes in contact with sunlight, your body produces vitamin D, an essential fat soluble nutrient. Vitamin D acts like a hormone by regulating bone and muscle function, blood pressure, heart health, brain function, and is an overall factor in longevity.
The great news is that your body is resilent and given half the chance it can heal itself on its own. By following these simple tips, your body will be on its way to healing itself in no time. Change can be hard though, so if you need extra support, send me a message. I would love to help you uncover a lifestyle that fits you and your health goals!