Our hormonal system isn't just about "that time of the month." Our hormonal health includes our thyroid, our pancreas and our adrenal glands (our body's stress barometers) as well as our estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormonal health is very important for our wellbeing including our mood, our energy and our sleep. Here are a few tips for achieving hormonal balance:
- Make sure to get enough sleep, especially between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am. If you are asleep during these hours every night, you will be doing your adrenal glands a big favor. The adrenal glands are restored by good sleep especially during these hours. Make sure to make your bedroom cool and block out all sources of light, as any light in the room can inhibit melatonin production.
- Mind your liver! The liver is actually an extremely important organ for hormonal health, even though it isn't technically part of the endocrine system. Old, spent hormones are detoxed through the liver, and new hormones are conjugated and converted to their active forms. Poor liver function can lead to symptoms such as sluggish thyroid and low sex drive. To help the liver, limit alcohol and sugar intake, and eat veggies such as greens and beets. Also ask me about the 21 day purification program, which is a super boost for your liver health.
- Limit sources of stress. Stress impacts our hormones because we will start producing cortisol and adrenaline instead of the hormones we want like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid hormone. Stress is always going to be present, so limiting unnecessary sources is essential. Start paying attention to how you feel doing certain activities. Do you get a sinking feeling in your stomach when you watch the news on TV? Does your heart race when you see drama on Facebook? Is there a certain friend you have who makes your hair stand on end? Life is too short to allow things into your life that are causing you stress. Consider a news and/or Facebook "fast" for 30 days and see how you feel. Also consider limiting exposure to "toxic" people in your life.
- Find restorative activities to replace stressful activities. Hormonal health is about living a balanced life. Gentle yoga classes, walking, reading inspiring books or picking up one of those adult coloring books are all good examples of restorative activities! Treatments such as massage and acupuncture are wonderful for relieving stress and thus balancing hormones.
RSS Feed