Hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, insulin and cortisol are the chemical messengers of the body.
Women and men both can suffer from hormone imbalance. Some factors like ageing, stress and diet can also influence hormone levels. It can significantly impact mood, appetite and overall health. Hormonal imbalances have become more common with today’s fast-paced modern lifestyle.
Hormonal imbalances in women: Women experience several periods of hormonal imbalance throughout their life, including during-
- Puberty
- Menstruation
- Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
- Perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause
Hormonal imbalance in men: Natural causes of hormonal imbalance in men include:
- Puberty
- Ageing
To balance your hormones naturally -
- Eat Enough Protein- Eating an adequate amount of protein is necessary for keeping your hormones, such as ghrelin (the hunger hormone) in balance. Protein makes you feel full, suppress your appetite, increase your metabolism and boost your fat burning
- Regular Exercise- Physical activity can strongly influence hormonal health. It helps you keep fit, fights off extra fat and also increases insulin sensitivity.
- Manage stress- Stress, both physical and mental, can also affect the balance of our hormones due to rising levels of cortisol (stress hormone), when we are feeling stressed, our hormones can go for a toss. Engaging in stress-reduction behaviours like meditation, yoga, massage and listening to soothing music can help normalise your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Get Enough Sleep- Poor sleep has been linked to imbalances of many hormones, including insulin. It’s not only the quantity of sleep you get that matters. Quality of sleep is also important. The adverse effects of sleep disturbance on hormones may contribute to: Obesity, Diabetes, Problem with appetite.
- Consume healthy fats- Including healthy fats in your diet and avoiding unhealthy trans fats may help reduce insulin resistance and stimulate the production of hormones that help control appetite. To optimise hormone health, consume a healthy fat source at each meal.
- Reduce or Eliminate Sugar and refined carbohydrates like white bread, desserts, pizza dough, etc.
- Eat plenty of fatty fish- It is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids and may also have beneficial effects on hormonal health, including reducing levels of stress hormones.
- Eat fibre rich diet- Fibre may play an important role in gut health, and it may also help regulate hormones such as insulin and hormones that control hunger, fullness and food intake. Example- fruits, vegetables, quinoa, oats, etc.
- Drink Green Tea- Green Tea contains antioxidants and compounds that boost metabolic health.
- Avoid Alcohol and Smoking- It may disrupt levels of several hormones.
Eating mindfully and other healthy lifestyle modifications may help improve hormonal health.
For regulating your hormonalimbalance reach out to Divya: divya.gupta18593@gmail.com
