Are your hormones out of balance? You may be wondering then, how do I balance my hormones naturally?
This seems to be a common question nowadays. This is because unfortunately in a world full of toxins, stress, birth control and other medications, trauma, inflammatory foods, fast-paced lifestyles, artificial lights, and more, hormones can come out balance pretty easily. Symptoms can be absolutely debilitating. Potential solutions can be overwhelming and difficult to sift through.
I am here to tell you that you are not alone. In fact, I spent years of my life trying to sift through these issues myself, and went on a long health journey in order to balance hormones naturally. You can read more about my story to get to where I am today here.
The good news is that there are absolutely solutions to hormones that are out of whack, and you can absolutely balance hormones naturally. In this post we will look at what some common symptoms of hormonal imbalance are, some key hormones that cause these symptoms when out of whack, some of the most common reasons that hormones get out of whack, and we’ll end with the steps I recommend walking through in order to balance hormones naturally.
Common Symptoms of when Hormones are Out of Balance
There are a lot of different symptoms that can potentially indicate hormonal imbalance. You may be reading this and a light bulb will go off, having no idea these could be related, or you may feel seen in your symptoms, knowing that you are not alone. Here are the most common symptoms of hormonal balance that may indicated the need to naturally balance hormones.
- Acne
- Weight Gain
- Headaches & Migraines
- Brain Fog
- Insomnia
- Digestive Issues
- Blood Sugar Disregulation
- Infertility
- Miscarriage
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Mood Swings
- Low Libido
- Memory Issues
- Amenorrhea (Lack of a period)
- Irregular Cycles
- Short Cycles
- PMS/PMDD Symptoms
Yeah, the list is pretty overwhelming, and often these symptoms can correlate with other issues, such as digestion or blood sugar as well. As you can see, those are both actually on the list. This is because hormonal imbalances are deeply connected with various systems in the body, which is often why symptoms can relate to various issues.
Let’s look a little more into the most commonly discussed hormones that can cause these imbalances.
Key Hormones Involved in Hormonal Imbalances
- Estrogen- I am almost certain you have heard of estrogen. It is key to so many functions in the body, including building up the uterine lining during the first part of the menstrual cycle, is key in bone formation, increased blood flow and blood clotting mechanisms, key in metabolism and blood sugar regulation, works to keep fluid retention in balance, stimulates the activity of brain cells, and so much more. When it is in balance, it performs all of these functions beautifully. However, when it is out of balance, most commonly through estrogen dominance, it can wreak havoc on inflammation on the system as all of the systems/mechanisms above struggle to be regulated. For example, the up regulation of blood sugar in the short term is part of a healthy body system, but in the long term can lead to blood sugar disregulation that overtime can turn into pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.
- Progesterone- Think of progesterone as the hormone that counters estrogen, and when both are in balance, creates perfect harmony through balanced hormones. While estrogen builds up the uterine lining, progesterone prevents growth and maintains it, while estrogen increases blood sugar levels, progesterone works as part of the system to help lower levels. Commonly, progesterone is low, which leads to issues in cycles as well as the potential for estrogen dominance.
- Cortisol- Cortisol is another hormone that you’ve probably heard of. It is commonly know as the stress hormone, and is absolutely necessary for basic biological functions. The problem with it again comes when it is out of balance. People can have chronically low cortisol levels, but is is far more common, in fact, extremely common to have chronically high cortisol levels. When chronically high, inflammation is common, and chronic inflammation can wreak havoc on various systems in the body. It can actually impact estrogen and progesterone, and vice versus. All of these hormones are intricately connected.
- Melatonin- Melatonin holds opposing effects to cortisol and promotes sleep and relaxation. This is not very commonly discussed in the world of hormonal imbalances, but I did want to bring it up because of how commonly melatonin regulation is disrupted, which can contribute to all of the other common hormonal imbalances I am discussing. You can read more about that here.
- Testosterone- When estrogen, progesterone, and/or cortisol are out of balance, testosterone can be as well. For example, women with PCOS will commonly have high testosterone levels. When in balance, testosterone helps with libido, bone mineral density, and building structure in the body like muscle.
- Thyroid Hormone- Finally, we have thyroid hormones… This vital group of hormones manages the metabolism, which you can read more about in this post. This commonly contributes to hormonal imbalances, and due to the vital role these hormones play in metabolism, can cause a lot of systemic issues.
That is a lot, I know. Before you fell overwhelmed though, I want you to know that you absolutely can balance hormones naturally. It just takes the right tools and the right amount of time and trust in your body’s design. First though, let’s look quickly at what can throw this design of balance out of balance. Please remember though, what is out of balance can be brought back into balance.
Root Causes of Hormonal Imbalances
We won’t sit too long here, but I wanted to give a quick overview of the things that may be at the root cause of hormonal imbalances. Remember that it is often a combination of various things, and not just one thing.
- Hormonal Birth Control
- Chronic Stress
- Unresolved Trauma
- Overexercising
- Undereating
- Malnourishment through lack of nutrient dense diet
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Toxins and Endocrine Disruptors
- Digestive Issues
- Lack of Sleep
- Blood Sugar Issues
- Pregnancy
As you can see, there are various things that can lead to hormonal imbalances, but how do we balance hormones naturally? Here is what I recommend addressing in order to balance hormones naturally.
Balance Hormones Naturally
I am providing you with some tips that will address these specific foundations of health: Sleep, Stress, Digestion, and Blood Sugar Regulation. By addressing these four foundations of health, we can better balance hormones naturally. Here are my top tips to address these foundations.
- Track Your Cycle
- This is my number one recommendation for getting started on this journey of your health because, how can we balance hormones naturally if we do not first know what hormones we are prioritizing? While tracking your cycle won’t tell you every little detail, it can give an overarching picture of what might be off.
- I can teach you how to track your cycle with ease, in order to get a picture of your hormone health. Learn how by clicking here.
- Prioritize Sleep
- Hormone health starts with at least 7 hours of good quality sleep every single night, because all of health and healing starts with sleep. Hormone regulation is deeply driven by the amount of rest that the body receives. Want to learn some tips on how to get better sleep? Check out this post here.
- Reduce Stress Levels
- This is another big one. (Who am I kidding, they are all big ones!) Chronic stress creates chronically elevated cortisol levels, which can throw so many things out of balance. Reducing stress can reduce cortisol levels, and give the body freedom to more easily drop into a state of homeostasis. Here are my top tips for stress reduction!
- Reduce Toxic Load
- There are many toxins that act as endocrine (hormone) disruptors in the body, and can create hormonal imbalance. To balance hormones naturally, it is important to factor the toxic accumulation that your body faces daily. While we cannot control all of it, there is a lot we can control. Check out this post to learn more.
- Take an HTMA test
- Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis tests have changed my life. They are such a good indication into where the body may need support nutritionally in order to balance hormones naturally. It is almost like a 3 month report card of stress levels, digestive function and liver health, telling you exactly what to address nutritionally. I prefer getting my HTMA through the Hormone Healing RD’s course, Master Your Minerals. You can check her out here.
- Work on Digestive Health
- Digestive health is absolutely key to hormone balance, especially considering that estrogen is processed through the gut. Want to know where to get started with supporting digestive health? Check out this post.
Recap
Hormonal imbalances can be caused through various issues, and addressing them may seem overwhelming. But there are so many things you can do today that will begin addressing these imbalances, allowing for vibrant health and fertility.
Are you not sure where to begin on your hormone healing journey? Do not hesitate to reach out to me here and let me know how I can support you.
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