Hormones are the chemical messengers that help regulate all of the functions in your body, from appetite to fertility to mood. If you have an imbalance of hormones, you could experience weight gain/loss, fatigue, digestive problems, depression, or a whole host of other symptoms.
You should always consult your doctor about any concerning symptoms. There are medical treatments available for severe hormonal imbalances.
For minor imbalances, there are natural ways to balance your hormones and keep your body healthy!
1. Exercise
Exercise has all kinds of benefits. Getting those endorphins flowing can help balance the hunger- and energy-related hormones responsible for things like over-eating and energy levels.
Experts recommend getting at least 120 minutes of exercise per week. Even just taking the dog for a 20 minute walk every day can have tons of benefits!
2. Eat Healthy Fats
Healthy fats help to balance hormones associated with hunger and metabolism, which means eating things like avocados, coconut oil, and wild-caught salmon can help you feel full longer, avoid overeating, and get hungry only when you actually need energy.
3. Eat Fiber
Fiber not only plays an important role in keeping your gut healthy, but it also may have an effect on regulating insulin! Getting plenty of fiber from things like whole grains can help you maintain your hormonal balance.
4. Drink Green Tea
Countless studies show that green tea may have some seriously beneficial effects. Likely related to the high antioxidant content, green tea can help with everything from mental acuity to obesity to balancing hormones.
5. Use Essential Oils
Several essential oils are known to help balance estrogen levels, helping with symptoms of PMS, menopause, puberty, and more. Some great oils to try are Clary Sage, Lavender, and Fennel.
Simply Earth also has TWO synergy blends designed to help with hormonal balance: Good Vibes and Ladies’ Choice!
6. Manage Your Stress
Stress is shown to set your endocrine system and hormone levels off balance, which means high stress can have far-reaching effects on your body. Using meditation, calming essential oils, exercise, and other stress management techniques can help you keep your stress under control and your hormones balanced.
7. Take Supplements
Nutritional gaps can be responsible for an imbalance in your hormones. Supplementing your diet with things like vitamin D, B vitamins, probiotics, zinc, magnesium, and collagen protein could be the key to getting your hormones balanced.
8. Sleep
Last, but certainly not least, sleep is one of the most important things affecting your hormones. We spend a third of our lives sleeping to preserve energy, heal cellular damage, and balance our brain chemistry. Sleep is absolutely critical to keep all of our systems functioning!
Lots of fitness trackers will tell you how you’re sleeping. If you don’t have a fitness tracker, you can keep track of your sleep using a sleep journal. Getting about 8 hours of good sleep per night will help you keep your hormones balanced, along with a whole host of other benefits.
What are you going to try first?
What are your favorite ways to maintain hormonal balance? Which of these natural ways to balance your hormones will you add to your routine first?