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How to Balance Hormones Naturally: 7 Ways That Work 

How to Balance Hormones Naturally: 7 Ways That Work
Wellness

The human body produces over 200 hormones and hormone-like compounds. We rely on these chemicals to deliver messages for the body to carry out important functions, including but not limited to sleep, reproduction, and growth.

When hormone levels shift, it can wreak havoc on everything in your life from the mood to normal bodily functions. Learn how to balance hormones naturally, so that you can live a happy and healthy life.

A hormone imbalance can make itself known in a number of unsettling ways. Fortunately, we can often naturally ease our bodies back into equilibrium quite easily.

Read on to learn how to balance hormones naturally!

1. CBD Oil

The human body actually contains an endocannabinoid system that helps maintain homeostasis, which we learned through cannabis studies. Within this system, we produce chemicals similar to cannabinoids that bind to cannabinoid receptors throughout our central nervous system and immune organs.

This system plays a role in regulating the endocrine system, composed of glands that synthesize and release hormones. Many people use CBD oil for natural pain relief, but do not realize that this cannabinoid stimulates many of the endocrine glands in the brain and throughout the body.

During menopause, the body slows down on synthesizing sex hormones, which leads to bone and joint disorders. CBD stimulates the production of sex hormones from the pituitary gland, like estradiol, which seems to counteract this.

It seems that CBD may also impact the pancreas to balance out insulin production. This could help the body maintain blood glucose levels.

CBD also shows the potential to regulate the circadian rhythm, similar to Anandamide, an important endocannabinoid produced by the human body. It also plays a role in balancing out levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which leads to anxiety, obesity, and other serious consequences when overproduced.

2. Healthy Eating Habits

Though it seems like you get no say in your body’s hormone production, you actually do by choosing what to put into your body. Don’t know how to balance hormones through diet?

Avoid eating too much, because overeating bumps up insulin production and then lessens receptor sensitivity to it, raising your blood glucose levels over time. Only eat until you feel satiated, not full. 

Do not starve yourself either, as this raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Per day, the average woman needs about 2,000 calories and the average man needs around 2,500. This amount may change based on your BMR, activity level, and age.

What should you eat to keep hormone levels in check?

Make sure your diet consists of 10-35% protein. This nutrient stops your body from producing the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the synthesis of other hormones that make you feel satiated. Staying away from refined sugars and opting for healthy fats, like coconut oil will also keep hormone levels in check.

3. Exercise

You can maintain hormone balance through daily exercise! A regular mix of cardio and strength training will help keep your levels optimal.

When you exercise, it triggers the release of feel-good hormones, like dopamine and serotonin. This helps regulate mood, sleep, and social behavior, and may keep your pain levels in check.

Exercising also releases sex hormones. In men, it drives up the level of testosterone, which drops with age. 

Women receive a booster of progesterone, which helps regulate periods, and estrogen, which eases symptoms of menopause. Though, women should not overexercise, as this can create an imbalance by flooding the body with too many hormones.

4. Sleep Properly

Lack of sleep affects hormone levels, and then hormonal imbalances, in turn, affect sleep. Not sleeping enough will impact hormones that drive mood, hunger, blood-glucose levels, sexual desire, and even sleep itself.

It can lead to conditions like depression, anxiety, obesity, and diabetes. Strive to get the recommended 7-9 hours each night.

If your hormonal imbalance already causes sleep disturbances:

  • Create a strict wake-sleep schedule for yourself and stick to it
  • Exercise early in the day
  • Take a warm bath with chamomile and lavender before bed
  • Eat foods with tryptophan, like turkey, beans, and eggs, before bed
  • Keep your room completely dark at night to stimulate melatonin production
  • Avoid using electronics in bed

Sticking to a routine with these guidelines can help you win the battle against insomnia.

5. Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of tiny needles into the skin. In Eastern medicine, they say it improves the Chi, or flow of energy.

Western medicine might suggest that the effects come from triggering the production of chemical messengers, like cytokines and specific hormones.

An acupuncturist can hit specific meridians on the body to help regulate hormone production. This practice does not use medications or synthetic hormones that create adverse side effects for the patient but rather triggers the body to naturally adjust itself.

6. Stress Management

Chronic stress severely impacts hormone levels. It floods the body with cortisol but also affects a number of endocrine functions throughout the body.

Exercising is a great way to keep your stress levels in check. Yoga gives you the benefits of a workout but also adds extra elements to helps you stay mindful and reduce your stress levels.

Work on maintaining a positive attitude to change the way you perceive stress. Do this by practicing gratitude and letting go of the circumstances you cannot control.

Surround yourself with a positive network. You will find that positivity is just as contagious as stress. You will feel better both physically and mentally once your attitude adjustment balances out your hormone levels.

7. Soak Up Some Sun

Sunshine helps everything, including balancing the body’s hormone levels! Soaking in sunlight boost serotonin levels, which helps you feel better.

The sun also stimulates vitamin D production. Vitamin D plays a role in boosting dopamine levels and protecting the heart with estrogen regulation.

Know How to Balance Hormones Naturally

Now that you know how to balance hormones naturally, you can live your best life! You can easily incorporate all of these remedies into your daily routine to keep your body balanced.

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